Conwy... (Flashback) Chief Executive Iwan Davies apologises for errors that led to conman taking £125k!

One has to wonder how Iwan Davies managed to keep his job after this! There was a lot more to this story. I remember seeing the news and Mr. Davies running from the press at Bodlondeb!

And then that Mochdre fiasco, and again he kept his job and despite now millions being wasted, no one was sacked or held accountable! 

And we are to be punished with our council tax going up and more cuts to services.

How the other half live eh!

If anyone has that clip of the Chief Executive running from the press please let me know.

Thanks

A COUNCIL has apologized for blunders leading to it being conned out of £125,000 but said its overall checks are robust.

On Thursday, Conwy Council chiefs said sorry for mistakes made before they were swindled by a fraudster Christopher O’Neill who claimed to be helping army veterans.

Last week 51-year-old conman O’Neill, who had served for a brief time in the Military Police, was jailed for three years at Caernarfon crown court.

He had blown taxpayers’ cash given to his “Forces for Good” project on gambling, hotel bills, and a speedboat.

He had fooled the Welsh Government, Conwy Council, MPs, Assembly Members, police, probation chiefs, and health officials into believing that his plan to set up a hotel at Llandudno to be run for the benefit of ex-servicemen was genuine.

A council report said a substance misuse officer had been negligent in accepting O’Neill’s word that a bank account requiring two signatories had been opened. But a council-manager “signed off” the invoice. There has been no disciplinary action.

At a special meeting of Conwy’s audit committee, Conwy’s chief executive Iwan Davies said: “I am really sorry this happened.

“This extremely worthy cause gathered momentum behind it, a national momentum, lots of public support.

“When it came to our role I think there was so much pressure behind it the people involved in administering it went what they thought was the extra mile to help this along and went beyond what was acceptable. We were conned.”

Mr. Davies said: “We didn’t seek to sweep it under the carpet. We brought it to the public domain at the right time.”

He added: “I can’t say it will never happen again.

“The systems are operated by people and people sometimes make mistakes, sometimes for the best of intentions.

“I am hugely disappointed about what has happened.”

Senior council officers were questioned by the audit committee.

Chris Drew, a lay member, said: “I am told that one person has died and another person is now working with another local authority.”

Strategic director Ken Finch said other grants had been reviewed.

“If someone is determined to perpetrate a fraud they will give it a damn good go,” he warned.

Councilor Janet Haworth said: “Clearly the application form should have rung alarm bells, but it didn’t.”

However, she didn’t want a ‘blame culture.’

Councilors were told the local authority would have no right to make Criminal Records Bureau checks.

The committee accepted an action plan and called on the Welsh Government to review its grant application process. One ex-serviceman who was at the meeting said: “I’ve no faith that it couldn’t happen again with this council.”

Yesterday, Conwy Cabinet‘s finance and resources spokesman Cllr Dave Cowans said the con was “despicable” but pointed out Wales Audit Office had called Conwy’s overall governance robust.

He added: “An important check was not carried out on this occasion.

“It’s disappointing to be on the end of a despicable fraud.

“I hope O’Neill will mull over his actions for the next three years.

From...https://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/conwy-council-apologises-errors-led-2637114