PSNI must investigate council officers behind land deals exposed in audit report, says TUV leader Jim Allister

By Niall Deeney
Published 7th Jul 2022, 12:00 BST
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 6th May 2022 - Northern Ireland Assembly Election Count at Ulster University, Jordanstown TUV Leader Jim Allister Photo by Stephen Hamilton / Press Eye.Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 6th May 2022 - Northern Ireland Assembly Election Count at Ulster University, Jordanstown TUV Leader Jim Allister Photo by Stephen Hamilton / Press Eye.
Press Eye - Belfast - Northern Ireland - 6th May 2022 - Northern Ireland Assembly Election Count at Ulster University, Jordanstown TUV Leader Jim Allister Photo by Stephen Hamilton / Press Eye.
TUV leader Jim Allister has called for the chief executive of the Causeway Coast and Glens Council, and other senior officials, to lose their jobs and be investigated by police.

The North Antrim MLA made the call following a damning extraordinary audit report into the council’s handling of land deals that revealed transactions involving publicly owned land at rock-bottom prices intended for luxury hotel developments.

The council chief executive David Jackson, along with several other senior officials, were sharply criticised in the report.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad
Read More
Role of senior council officials in luxury hotel land deals exposed in hard-hitt...

He continued: “The £1 land deal to assemble a site for a hotel developer illustrates the cavalier disregard for the ratepayers’ interests and the lamentable failure of oversight by compliant councillors. I welcome the auditor’s belief that the disregard for legal process renders the granting of this easement unlawful. The council must now address this challenge.”

Mr Allister added: “At the heart of all of this is how this council prioritised other interests over best practice and securing for their ratepayers the best value for publicly owned assets.

“Whose interests was this council serving? It is hard to see that the ratepayers’ interests featured very much, if at all.”

He also referred to the council’s handling of previous complaints he had made against senior officers, saying: “This is a council with a record of sweeping uncomfortable things under the carpet (eg ‘Happy Raspberry’ HR report following the judicial review which I took against the council). Thus, it is now up to the Department to act to ensure this does not happen again and for any councillors who care about probity in public office to insist on real remedial action. The senior officers, particularly the chief executive, so seriously found wanting should be considering their positions.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He added: “ Indeed, in light of the indicators of ‘wilful misconduct’, I am calling for a PSNI investigation of relevant senior officers in respect of the offence of misconduct in public office.

“The public should be grateful to the Northern Ireland Audit Office.”