14 September (Part 1) - Birds of a feather
It
doesn’t take a genius to work out that I think the leader of Bexley council is a
thoroughly dishonest woman. Police records show she reported Olly Cromwell and
me to the police for repeating (or not repeating in Olly’s case) a metaphor used
on another website without so much as a warning to the original author. Documents
held by the Bexley Council Monitoring Group reveal how the leader refused to report
misuse of a council credit card by her predecessor to the police. Recently she claimed
at a council meeting that cabinet member Peter Craske resigned that post for Personal
reasons but the News Shopper has revealed he resigned three days after his arrest for
Misconduct in Public Office. Nothing personal at all.
Then there are all the little day to day lies and subterfuges.
Filibustering
question time, almost certainly sanctioning Melvin Seymour’s false claims that
very nearly put Olly Cromwell behind bars. You can see why I think Teresa
O’Neill is no stranger to dishonesty and that she is ably supported by her
closest political colleagues and the Chief Executive. He is no better,
denying
that the police have investigated crimes by Bexley council when the evidence to the contrary is overwhelming.
While searching for more evidence I found this on the Barnehurst based website
Name ‘n’ Shame. N&S has been around a long time and when I started Bonkers I
went to see the author to see what I might be letting myself in for. I’ve only
met the man twice since then but we exchange the occasional email. I sent him
another one to see if he had any way of contacting the author of that intriguing
comment. He did and eventually I was able to discuss the issue with ‘Anon of
London’. This is what he said - edited for brevity.
Clement used to be the Assistant General Manager at [name of company] in
Charlton when it was far more successful than it is currently. The company had
its suspicions aroused and the Head Office audit team carried out a
snap audit. It revealed that Clement had claimed or been forwarded circa £700 of
expenses which were unaccounted for.
Rules allowed for 48 hours for accounts to be settled or invoices to be
submitted but these had been outstanding for some months. The national Head of
Personnel had conveniently accompanied the auditors and gave Clement four hours
to return home and provide the receipts he said were there or the cash sum to
balance matters. Clement was unable to do so (despite the pinks shirts
and expensive suits he didn't have the proverbial pot to piss in) and an
investigative meeting was held and a disciplinary called for the following day.
During the disciplinary Clement brought forth a litany of excuses and ever more
fantastic scenarios which might explain why he could not provide the proof of
expenditure and then he asked for a recess. During the recess he submitted his
resignation which was accepted on the proviso that any outstanding amount would
be deducted from his outstanding salary. He lost his company car was retrieved the following morning.
Within two weeks he was on Bexleyheath Broadway as bold as brass canvassing for
the Conservatives.
Subsequent investigations revealed that he had left his previous employers
(a supermarket chain) under a similar deal after a misunderstanding which
allegedly saw a huge quantity of wines and spirits marked down for clearance and
purchased by Mr. C. and his friends. The excuse was that the beverages were
approaching their sell by date!
Ian Clement subsequently worked for the Post Office delivering post in the
Belvedere area but I understand that role ended when his employment history
became known. Fortunately Bexley council came along to save him.
Needless to say it came as no surprise when the allegations at both Bexley and
the mayor’s office emerged. I will happily verify anything I have said.
So
the former leader of Bexley council had ‘form’ and Teresa O’Neill, his deputy and fellow
member of the local Conservative Club, didn’t have a clue of his character or
what he was up to under her nose until he was caught out by a complaint to the
police by Mick Barnbrook of the Bexley Council Monitoring Group. Is that
appallingly bad judgment or another fib?
Click second image for Name ‘n’ Shame. Click third for source of that interview.