A FOURTH senior officer has quit Waltham Forest Council.
Robin Tuddenham, head of community safety, will leave his post in January to take up a similar role at Calderdale Council, an authority in west Yorkshire.
His departure comes just weeks before the first independent probe into the mismanagement of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ money is expected to be made public.
Mr Tuddenham’s exit, which a council spokesman said is for "a new challenge and career progression", quickly follows that of Iain O'Donnell (head of finance), Rachel Tiffen (head of audit) and Tony Jain (head of corporate procurement).
All four departments were involved in the administration and spending of funds intended to help the poorest parts of Waltham Forest under the Better Neighbourhoods Initiative (BNI).
But rules to prevent fraud were routinely bypassed when BNI contracts were arranged, adminsitered and monitored over a number of years.
Despite a number of internal council investigations costing £116,000, chief executive Andrew Kilburn ordered an independent inquiry earlier this year “in order to maintain the authority’s integrity”.
It is the results of this probe which are now due.
Public sector heavyweights Sir Rodney Brooke CBE – former chairman of the General Social Care Council – Lucy de Groot CBE, executive director of the Improvement and Development Agency and Peter Rogers, chief executive of the London Development Agency were brought in to spearhead the investigation and promised to “leave no stone unturned”.
The Guardian understands Mr Kilburn and leaders of the three political groups have been briefed on the investigation’s findings, although no date has been set for publication.
Matt Davis, Conservative leader, said: “I am concerned to learn that a fourth senior officer closely involved with the BNI programme is leaving the authority before the independent panel investigating it has reported back.”
Former council leader Clyde Loakes, who was chairman of the Local Strategic Partnership, which was responsible for monitoring BNI spending, blamed council officers for the fiasco.
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