By Janet Leifer (on Behalf of Barnet Alliance for Public Services)
As reported recently, a former
employee on a council contract with Capita has been charged in a £2 million
fraud case which will be heard on 31 July at Harrow Crown Court. How did 62 allegedly fraudulent transactions over the
course of 18 months go undetected for so long?
Barnet Council employed Grant Thornton
UK LLP (GT) to carry out a forensic review on the alleged fraud. Grant Thornton are being paid up to half a
million pounds of taxpayers’ money for their work including the report they
produced. However Barnet Council will
not be making the report public at the moment because the Chief Executive does
not believe it is in the public interest as the report contains financial and
business information on Capita and Capita has not had an opportunity to provide
comments on its contents.
Next week there are two very important
Barnet Council Committee meetings taking place where financial matters,
including the Capita contract will be discussed. It is important that Barnet residents are
made aware of what happens at these meetings and I trust journalists will be
there to report on the proceedings.
On Tuesday, 17 July the Audit Committee meets at 7pm in Hendon Town Hall. Its gallery is open the
public and residents will be following the committee discussion there and
asking questions. Were changes made since the alleged fraud came to light in
December 2017 to prevent such theft happening again? Did Cllr Richard
Cornelius, the leader of the council, and other leading members of the Audit
Committee know about the fraud before the elections? How come this sorry
business was kept under wraps until after the elections? Why is it not in the
interest of the public to see the Grant Thornton investigation report now, or, is it that it is not in the interests of
Capita that the public see this report when Barnet Council is considering its relationship
with Capita?
On Thursday, 19 July there will be a special meeting of the
Policy and Resources Committee at 7.30 pm in
Hendon Town Hall, called extraordinarily because even the Tories ruling Barnet
council admit that the model of outsourcing most council services to Capita
doesn't work. A key item on the agenda is the Review of Capita Contracts.
– members are asked to recommend one of 3 possible options (1) keep things as
they are, (2) re-shape contracts with some coming back in-house, (3) end
the contracts with Capita and bring all the services back under direct council
control. Members of this committee might find it useful to see the Grant
Thornton report before they recommend an option on whether Capita should stay
or go. Will they be allowed to do so?
In the name of transparency and
accountability it IS in the public interest that the Grant Thornton report be
published ASAP, in sufficient time before the Audit Committee and Policy and
Resources Committee meetings next week.
The fraud case only illustrates why
trusting our services to a commercial company compromises any possibility of
scrutiny and accountability, and therefore the only decision that councillors
on the Policy and Resources committee can responsibly make next week is Option
3 - bring ALL our council services back in-house. Residents, members of Barnet
Alliance for Public Services and council workers will lobby for this option to
be selected outside Hendon Town Hall from 6.30 pm on Thursday 19 July,
before going into the public gallery to witness how our
councillors represent our interests.
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Guest blogs are always welcome at The Barnet Eye. Janet Leifer is a Barnet Resident.
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