A review into Oldham council's botched
£3m prosecution of kitchens trader Vance Miller has been slammed by the town's three MPs.
Town hall bosses ordered the probe after the trading standards-led case against the 45-year-old business owner sensationally collapsed earlier this month.
Mr Miller and three of his colleagues were accused of defrauding customers at his Oldham-based firm.
But Judge Jonathan Foster QC threw the case out and branded the prosecution - which is believed to have already cost over £3m - 'misconceived from the start'.
Under-fire council chiefs suspended trading standards boss Tony Allen, who masterminded the prosecution, and promised a 'thorough and independent review'.
That review is yet to be completed, but local Labour MPs Phil Woolas, David Heyes and Michael Meacher have demanded to know why the council's Chief Executive Charlie Parker has appointed lawyer Stewart Dobson to carry it out.
No reason has been given why Mr Dobson, a forming acting chief executive of Birmingham council, was chosen for the job.
In a letter to the District Auditor, the three MPs also ask why a full council meeting was not held to set out the terms of Mr Dobson's investigation.
They urge the District Auditor to carry out his own, independent review and hit out at Mr Parker's influence.
The letter reads: “We understand that Mr Parker has refused to consider a request that the terms of reference for the review be considered and agreed by full council. We are not convinced that this approach will give confidence to our constituents in Oldham that this review will be truly independent.”
Considerable financial risks
The letter also says: “The council has been exposed to considerable financial risks as a result of the reckless pursuit of this case against Mr Miller.
“The costs of this fiasco, both to date and in terms of potential claims from Mr Miller, could run into many millions.”
“It is ludicrous for us to be expected to believe that a case of this magnitude would have been the sole responsibility of a single, relatively junior officer of the council without regular reference to and oversight of the most senior politicians and officers in the borough.”
Oldham council have refused to answer any questions until the review is carried out.
Mr Miller himself said he had not been contacted for his input on the review.
He added: "Why don't they just listen to what the judge said? It's another waste of money. Why don't they spend it on parks."
Town hall under fire over Vance Miller case probe
January 29, 2010
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Showing comments 1 to 19 and replies | View All
Angelene19, Manchester (29/01/2010 at 08:38)
I hope his constrituents do the right thing and get rid of him.
tiggerluc, somewhere in shaw (29/01/2010 at 08:58)
Jay B, oldham (29/01/2010 at 10:32)
this is the same council who are ploughing ahead trying to get oldham athletic moved to a new ground. on a site which is a public facility already. just so they can get their hands on more cash from the sale of boundary park.
sad thing is that its happened before here! the previous labour council did something similar with oldham rugby up at watershedding pursueding them to sell up their old ground to make way for housing on the promise that the coucil would sort out a new site for the ground. it never happen and even to this day they are homeless.
and thats just the start!
RT, UK (29/01/2010 at 11:39)
on legal costs in an attempt to keep their expenses secret.
Flipping Cheek...
Hurry O'Caine - the Irish Whirlind, Typhoon Tipperary (29/01/2010 at 11:51)
Angelene19, Manchester (29/01/2010 at 11:52)
Jay B, oldham (29/01/2010 at 12:03)
they already do! millions has been wasted on two major parks in oldham that are still no-go areas. i wouldnt dare venture into one with an armed police escort.
this is also the same council that wasted £200,000 on pretty flowers. which have all but died off now.
and yet this is the same council who have massive got stocks left because they hardly gritted the borough! and they haven't took massive deliveries of grit either since.
oh and the same council that have more pot holes (before the snow) than people! some of the road surfaces up here are decades old!
semi literate simian (29/01/2010 at 12:57)
This council and their predecesors have willfully squandered our money. wheteher its the foot bridge over the bypass with exploding windows that replaced perfectly servicable foot paths, the muggers dream foot bridge across Oldham road which you cannot use without loosing all your worldly possesions, the millions they have sunk into parks you cannot visit without an armed guard, chasing kitchen manufacturers, Town logo redesign's or new sports centres that have been so badly thought out they can't afford to fund them, setting up pointless enquiries into this, that and another or spending millions building new library buildings while letting the towns heritage rot. We have a town centre which is a no go zone at weekends (unless you want to drink yourself into a stupor and have a fight).
The chief exec is one of the best paid in the land, the tiers of management are unbelievably extensive and extravagent while front line services are being squeezed and in some cases forced out of specially designed and newly constructed buildings in a bid to cut costs.
Its a shame cos I like where I live and have great neighbours but am fed up of paying out for this useless feckless council.
minnie royle (29/01/2010 at 14:31)
Jay B, oldham (29/01/2010 at 15:46)
oldham council now use potholes on top of all the other idiotic traffic calming to slow drivers down.
Esso Blue. Carlitos is officially a GOD, Blues Town (29/01/2010 at 16:30)
Acid, Chadderton (29/01/2010 at 16:34)
They're not good at the dog poo either. Parks in Stockport provide free bags for dog owners to clean up after their pets. Can you honestly see this lot providing that kind of service? They spent a small fortune renovating the Rochdale Canal towpath, only for successive councils to allow it to fall into a dangerous mess once again. Oh, and they have THE most expensive council tax in Gtr Manchester. The last I heard they were the 3rd most expensive in the country and one of the bottom 10 performers. What a disgrace!!
Abu Hamza's right hand man. (29/01/2010 at 18:41)
Moorlok, London (01/02/2010 at 14:53)
Who will pick up the bill for this masterclass in crass incompetence?...the council taxpayer of course.
Angie33 , Manchester (01/02/2010 at 15:06)
Hurry O'Caine - the Irish Whirlind, Typhoon Tipperary (01/02/2010 at 15:22)
Fact is that this became a vendetta because Miller is an unlikeable cheeky chappy. They cocked up due to letting personal feelings cloud their logic. They should be made to pay fopr their bad judgment.
tysonthebeerhound, Manchester (02/02/2010 at 08:28)
Moorlok, London (02/02/2010 at 10:10)
"This story has developed into yet another forum for people to moan about their councils-yawn."
...and if we didn't moan about the waste and incompetence in our local councils the buffoons would be even more stupid than this example of crass inefficiency!! We pay local councils to serve US taxpayers, not the other way round!
"An independent inquiry is called for and lessons have to be learnt, quickly."
I think lessons have been learned already, i.e. the bureaucrats are not fit for purpose!.....sack them all and do NOT waste any more taxpayers money on a pointless inquiry that will be nothing more than another waste of taxpayers money and arrive at no decision whatsoever, it will be nothing more than a whitewash!,.....it's what nulabour socialists are best at!!
Jeremy Sutcliffe (06/02/2010 at 14:23)
OMBC is a "LibDem controlled council where stupidity and profligacy rule the day"