Audit Office continues pension probe

THE PEMBROKESHIRE HERALD can exclusively reveal the Wales Audit Office – the body responsible for checking the accounts of Wales’ public bodies – is to meet with Council Officers to investigate further
The auditors met with the legal representatives of both Pembrokeshire and Carmarthenshire County Councils last week to discuss the legality of both the payments and the decision-making process itself.
The Herald understands from a separate source that it is likely that the Wales Audit Office will issue a Public Interest Report into the conduct of Pembrokeshire County Council.
By law, the appointed auditor is required to consider whether to issue a report in the public interest on any significant matter coming to his or her notice in the course of an audit, and to bring it to the attention of the audited body and the public.
The Leader of the IPPG ruling group on Pembrokeshire County Council struck a confident pose this week when he attacked Labour Group leader Paul Miller’s attempt to scrutinise the payments in an interview in the Western Telegraph.
But Councillor Adams’ assertion that the conduct of the meeting is not open to question flies in the face of documents seen by The Herald relating to the conduct of Caerphilly Council prepared by the Wales Audit Office.
In Caerphilly’s case, the presence of officers at a meeting which discussed their remuneration packages was ruled unlawful.