Councillor chosen to probe alleged wrongdoing vows to pursue investigation to the end (From Stroud News and Journal)

Councillor chosen to probe alleged wrongdoing vows to pursue investigation to the end

7:00pm Wednesday 15th February 2012 in News By Nick Wakefield

LABOUR councillor Rogers Sanders has vowed to pursue allegations of wrongdoing at Stroud District Council until a satisfactory conclusion is reached.

Cllr Sanders, who represents Uplands ward, is one of five cross-party members recently selected to form an investigative committee to probe claims relating to the actions of council employees.

No specific details have yet been revealed but it is thought the allegations centre on the past expenses of an individual councillor and a subsequent investigation carried out at the time.

SDC chairman John Hudson first announced the launch of an inquiry at a full council meeting on January 26.

He told members information had been brought to his attention, which ‘calls into question this council’s governance’ and added that ‘in the interests of transparency, I need to be satisfied’.

A dispute over expenses paid out to former SDC leader Chas Fellows (Con, Chalford) led to two councillors, Nigel Studdert-Kennedy and John Jeffreys, splitting from the Conservative group in 2010.

Later it emerged SDC broke its own rules by recovering Cllr Fellows’ expenses for performing duties on behalf of economic partnership Gloucestershire First.

Cllr Sanders, who has called for the findings of the inquiry to be made public as soon as possible, told the SNJ: "I am going to see this through to its conclusion, whether the allegations are proved or not.

"I am not going to let anyone blow the whistle until I am 100 per cent happy with the evidence that is put before me.

"My colleagues on the committee and I are dealing with the task in hand thoroughly and I am confident we will come up with the right and proper decision."