South Wales Evening Post - 8 February 2008
Swansea councillors should foot the £20,000 bill for the investigation into their expenses and face legal charges, one member of the authority has urged.
The probe reportedly revealed that just £129 should be paid back to the council.
Non-aligned Clase councillor Ray Welsby believes his colleagues should pay the cost of the investigation.
He said council workers had been sacked for wrongly claiming lesser amounts.
But members of the council's ruling coalition have criticised former Dunvant community councillor Lis Davies for costing Swansea council taxpayers "more than £20,000" and called for a public apology.
Councillor Welsby said the expenses claims represented a "serious offence".
The £20,000 figure is the quoted cost of a report by independent auditors Pricewaterhouse Coopers into expenses claimed by councillors in 2006 to 2007.
Councillor Welsby said: "The council don't want it to come out as a scandal.
"I am calling for their names and action to be taken against them and repayment of the costs."They were claiming for meetings that they weren't entitled to claim for.
"Some were claiming to go to political group meetings, which they are not allowed to. If this had been a council employee he would have been sacked immediately.
"There has got to be a prosecution on this as it has come from the public purse."
Lis Davies was unrepentant and said she was due to meet the police.
"It doesn't matter whether it is a penny or a pound. It is public money," she said.
"I will be asking the police to look at this matter.
"If anyone is responsible for the £20,000 cost of the auditor I would say that would have to fall on those who misclaimed."
Clydach councillor Sylvia Lewis said the probe had cleared her of any wrongdoing but questioned the reasons behind the investigation.
She said: "The reality is that Ms Davies has already cost the Swansea taxpayer in excess of £20,000 to recover £129.
"This figure does not take into account the enormous amount of time and money that Swansea Council have themselves put into this inquiry and for any police time.
"I have been totally exonerated."
Council leader councillor Chris Holley said the allegations of councillors abusing their expenses were "completely unsubstantiated".
He said: "It is only right that the public can scrutinise councillors expenses.
"The external auditors found the council's procedures could be improved, but also found that none of the councillors identified by Ms Davies were trying to defraud the council."
The external auditors found a small number of councillors had mistakenly claimed some expenses and have asked for £129 to be reimbursed to Swansea Council."
Councillors Mary Jones and Alan Robinson jointly said: "Lis Davies is constantly criticising the council over its financial position, she has now cost them an extra £20,000.
"It is not fair on Swansea Council taxpayers that an individual can end up costing them in excess of £20,000."
