Latest news with #publicfunds
BBC News
2 days ago
- Business
- BBC News
Romaldkirk Parish Council dispute cost more than £60k
An investigation into claims of bullying, assault and unlawful use of public funds in a rural village cost a local authority more than £60, County Council launched a probe after members of Romaldkirk Parish Council were accused of being "dismissive and disrespectful" to dispute ignited over long-running land disagreements, with residents exchanging "toxic and threatening" WhatsApp messages. Four parish councillors were ordered to take conduct training after several complaints against them were resident, summing up the dispute, said: "I say to all my friends and family, if you think Emmerdale is something, move to Romaldkirk." Police also looked into complaints of assault among members but closed their investigations. Report 'not fair' Durham County Council, which was run by a coalition at the time, spent a total of £62,989 on internal and external costs, the Local Democracy Reporting Service Bradley, director of legal and democratic services, said: "The report to next week's Standards Committee provides a breakdown of this, which includes £21,646 of internal costs and £41,343 of external costs."A Durham County Council standards hearing in March ordered councillors Jacqueline Barningham, Gillian Carter, Lesley Cutting and Derek Nixon to undertake were also investigated for the handling of finances and alleged false statements regarding funds. Investigating officer Rachel Antonelli was employed to preside over the feud, but Ivan Carter-Becker, representing the councillors, criticised her said it was not "fair, reasoned, or justified and it should never have been put forward"."When looking at the actual evidence, it's clear the councillors acted the best way they could. The allegations are not correct." Follow BBC North East on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram.
BBC News
2 days ago
- General
- BBC News
Julian Bennett: Met commander sacked for second time over drugs test
The Metropolitan Police says Londoners "will be as outraged as we are at the utter waste of public funds" after a disciplinary process for one of its senior officers took almost five Julian Bennett has been dismissed from the force for a second time following a misconduct hearing. He had been suspended from duty since July 2020 after he refused to provide a sample for a drugs was initially dismissed in October 2023 but he appealed to the Police Appeals Tribunal (PAT) which ordered a new hearing on the basis the panel had ruled on allegations they were not asked Bennett was suspended on full pay during the whole process. On Tuesday the second panel found the allegation proven against Mr Bennett at the level of gross Commissioner Matt Twist condemned the former senior officer, saying he "knew full well what was required of him, yet he made a choice not to cooperate". 'A simple matter' "I am enormously concerned that almost five years since this incident happened we have only now been able to dismiss Cdr Bennett," added Assistant Commissioner Twist."This should have been a simple matter. Cdr Bennett has never disputed he refused a lawful order to take a drugs test."He said greater use by the Met of accelerated misconduct hearings to fast-track cases where the evidence is "irrefutable" would allow the force to dismiss officers "far more quickly". "I am confident a situation like Cdr Bennett's prolonged case would not happen again," he original disciplinary panel rejected a claim by Mr Bennett's former flatmate Sheila Gomes that he had used cannabis daily before it found that he had breached professional standards when he refused to do a drugs test. Two further allegations at the first panel - that between 2019 and 2020, while off duty, he had smoked cannabis, and that he gave an untrue explanation for why he refused to take the drugs test - were not proven. He told the first panel he had been taking CBD (cannabidiol) to treat facial palsy and was worried the sample would come up positive for an innocent Bennett - who wrote a Met drugs strategy in 2017 - was found in 2023 to have breached force standards for honesty and integrity, orders and instructions and discreditable conduct and was sacked. His lawyers successfully argued that while he had always admitted refusing to provide a sample, the panel found him guilty of a lack of integrity that he had not been charged the PAT's decision to revoke the dismissal, the Met considered a legal challenge by way of a judicial review but decided that Mr Bennett should face a fresh misconduct the misconduct panel's decision and his subsequent dismissal, Mr Bennett will be added to the College of Policing's barred appearing on the list cannot be employed by police and a number of police-related bodies.
CBS News
3 days ago
- Business
- CBS News
Ex-Hialeah police chief Sergio Velazquez arrested in alleged theft of public funds spent on Rolex, Cartier, authorities say
A former Hialeah police chief was arrested Monday following an investigation into allegations that he stole hundreds of thousands of dollars in public funds, officials said. Alleged misuse of police funds and financial structuring Miami-Dade State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle said Sergio Velazquez, 62, who served as chief from 2012 until his suspension in 2021, is charged with structuring, grand theft and an organized scheme to defraud. She called the case "shocking," citing the breach of public trust by someone in such a high-ranking position. Velazquez was arrested as he left his home Monday morning. At the time of his suspension by newly elected Hialeah Mayor Esteban Bovo in November 2021, Velazquez was earning $211,000 annually, making him the city's second-highest-paid employee. Investigation details reveal cash deposits and luxury purchases John Vecchio, Special Agent in Charge for the Florida Department of Law Enforcement's Miami Regional Operations Center, said the arrest followed a complaint from the current police chief, who discovered discrepancies involving seized funds and petty cash stored in the department's safe. FDLE agents allege that between 2015 and 2021, Velazquez made more than 900 cash deposits across multiple personal bank accounts, all under $10,000, amounts structured to avoid federal reporting requirements. The funds allegedly came from sources intended for confidential police operations and court-ordered forfeitures. Financial records reviewed in the investigation show Velazquez made over $300,000 in purchases from Rolex, along with additional luxury expenditures including $11,000 at Cartier, $6,700 at Louis Vuitton, and $5,000 at Versace. Officials noted that all suspicious cash deposit activity ceased following Velazquez's suspension in late 2021. Over $500,000 missing during five-month span The FDLE's probe revealed that during the final five months of Velazquez's tenure—from May to October 2021—about $560,000 in department funds were unaccounted for. Investigators identified 62 cash deposits during that time, all under the $10,000 threshold. Vecchio said the case involved more than 4,500 hours of investigative work, including subpoenaing financial records, conducting interviews, and executing search warrants.
Irish Times
28-05-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Live: RTÉ's leadership team appear before Oireachtas Media Committee
47 minutes ago RTÉ's management team is before the Committee on the Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport being quizzed on a number of recent controversies. They include a €3.7 million write down on an partially abandoned IT project RTÉ to replace its legacy finance and human resources system. Follow our live updates below. Key Reads RTÉ pays out €4m tied to misclassification of some staff as self-employed Miriam Lord: Dismay among RTÉ staffers as broadcaster hires actors to play journalists in 'make-believe' ad campaign Chambers refused to back open-ended RTÉ redundancy scheme, documents show Harry McGee - 5 minutes ago Kevin Bakhurst is addressing the €3.6 million impairment on RTÉ ICT project The Director General is now answering questions being put by Malcolm Byrne of Fianna Fáil. He says that the broadcaster's audit and risk committee was aware in 2023 about the issue, and that write-offs were included in RTÉ accounts. He added that the amount was written off over a period of several years. So — Harry McGee (@harrymcgee) Harry McGee - 8 minutes ago More Details on breakdown on ICT system From Kevin Bakhurst's opening statement: 'The new system kicked off in 2016. It was a large scale but essential capital project that was probably too ambitious and ultimately did to achieve all that was originally hoped. It is extremely regrettable when dealing with public funds to have to write down significant sums of money.' He argues that it was an outlier, one of only 39 capital projects that were completed successfully. 'Despite what some of the commentary may imply, the various systems and project management standards in place in RTÉ have proven effective in ensure that the correct outcomes are achieved.' Harry McGee - 12 minutes ago The meeting of the Committee has just started with chairman Alan Kelly running through the list of RTÉ witnesses. Chairman Alan Kelly opens the meeting of the Arts, Media and Culture committee examining governance issues at RTÉ. Follow live coverage on — Harry McGee (@harrymcgee) Harry McGee - 47 minutes ago It has taken many months for the Oireachtas Committees to be set up but today sees one of the first meaningful engagements by a committee inquiring into an area of public interest. RTÉ's management team led by director general Kevin Bakhurst is before the Committee on the Arts, Media, Communications, Culture and Sport and will be quizzed on a number of recent controversies. They include a €3.7 million write down on an partially abandoned IT project RTÉ to replace its legacy finance and human resources system. The broadcaster said at the time that the impairments were noted in its annual accounts during the years 2020 to 2023. However, they only came to public attention when the broadcaster made a disclosure to Minister for Media and Culture Patrick O'Donovan earlier this year. Mr Bakhurst's opening statement will also disclose that RTÉ handed over more than €4 million in unpaid social welfare contributions related to the misclassification of some workers in the organisation as self-employed contractors. Ian Curran reports in The Irish Times on Mr Bakhurst's opening statement . It is expected to say that RTÉ has made payments of €1.1 million to the Revenue Commissioners to date relating to an audit of its finances that began last year. In the appendix to his remarks submitted ahead of today's meeting, RTÉ noted a €3.2 million settlement to the Department of Social Protection relating to its review of some 655 alleged cases of Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) misclassification at the broadcaster. The committee, chaired by Alan Kelly of the Labour Party, will also question the RTÉ executives on a number of other issues including a proposed TV advert for the newsroom, which has been the subject of some criticism.
Arabian Business
25-05-2025
- Business
- Arabian Business
Dubai announces workplace rules for government employees under new committee system
Sheikh Maktoum bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum has issued Decision No. (4) of 2025 approving operational procedures for the Central Violations Committee and the Grievances Committee under the Financial Audit Authority in Dubai. The First Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Deputy Prime Minister, and Minister of Finance of the UAE issued the decision in his capacity as Chairman of the Financial Audit Authority. The operational procedures apply to employees and senior officials, including CEOs and those in higher executive positions of entities within the Authority's purview, the Dubai Media Office said in a statement. Maktoum bin Mohammed issues a Decision approving the operational procedures for the Central Violations Committee and the Grievances Committee under the Financial Audit Authority in Dubai. The Decision ensures that disciplinary penalties are fair and proportionate to the offence,… — Dubai Media Office (@DXBMediaOffice) May 25, 2025 Dubai establishes operational procedures for financial violations and grievances committees The Decision ensures disciplinary penalties are proportionate to offences through objective and impartial procedures designed to protect employee rights and reinforce accountability. The measures seek to protect public funds and ensure employees comply with workplace regulations whilst offering them the right to appeal decisions affecting their legal status or job conditions. The framework promotes fairness, job satisfaction, and stability in work environments across covered entities. The Decision stipulates who can serve on the Central Violations Committee, its responsibilities, and procedures for addressing financial and administrative violations. Clear criteria for disciplinary penalties ensure investigations remain objective and allow employees to provide written statements in their defence. Dubai stops double punishment for workplace mistakes The regulations prohibit multiple penalties for the same offence and require penalties to be proportionate to violation severity. All disciplinary action must be justifiable and limited to penalties allowed by law. The Decision outlines the scope and powers of the Grievances Committee and establishes a 15 working day deadline for employees to submit grievances from the date they receive notification of contested decisions. Grievances submitted after this period will be considered invalid. Compliance requirements Both employees and entities concerned must comply with Grievances Committee rulings. Entities must enforce rulings and inform the Financial Audit Authority once implementation is complete. The Decision requires both committees to maintain confidentiality of all sessions, discussions, records, and information. Disclosures are permitted only with approval from the Director General of the Financial Audit Authority and when serving the public interest. Dubai authority to provide help for new workplace committees The Financial Audit Authority will provide administrative and technical support to both committees to help fulfil their designated legal duties. This support operates pursuant to provisions of Law No. (4) of 2018, under which the Authority was established, and the newly promulgated Decision. The measures apply to all entities falling within the Financial Audit Authority's jurisdiction in Dubai.
