THE HERALD FRIDAY JANUARY 13 2017 Like us on Facebook


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3 News Llanelli MP on NATO deployment LLANELLI MP Nia Griffiths


is 'absolutely furious' after a spokesperson for Jeremy Corbyn said deploying troops in Estonia would result in 'escalations of tension' on Russia-Nato borders, according to BBC News. The BBC also reported how


Labour Shadow Defence Secretary Ms Griffiths described NATO support as a 'red line'. The UK is set to deploy 500 troops


to Estonia as part of a wider NATO operation to deter Russia from any


'further aggression'. The UK has been building up its


military presence in Baltic regions since 2014 – namely by sending RAF Typhoons – after Russian operations that year which saw it annex Crimea from Ukraine. Speaking to Forces TV prior to


her recent comments, Ms Griffiths MP said she thought it was 'very important that we now play a very strong role in Nato, particularly as we are leaving the European Union'. She added that NATO had 'to be


absolutely clear, following what has happened in Ukraine, that we are standing together as NATO nations and there is no way that we would tolerate any attack on any one of our member states'. "I think that's why it's so important


that we have this partnership work now with the three Baltic states and Poland," she said. Defence Secretary Sir Michael


Fallon said the military build-up in the area was intended to 'deter Russia from any further aggression'.


Call for full audit at Pembrey COUNTY Councillor Bill Tomas


has called for a full forensic audit of what he says appears to be past financial chaos at Pembrey Country Park. Cllr Thomas’ call follows a meeting


of the Audit Committee last Friday (Jan 6), at which he says that officers responsible for Pembrey were unable to tell Audit Committee members what money and assets are missing from the Park.


Cllr Thomas told The Herald that


the answers given to the questions on the maintenance of a register of assets led him to believe that the audit committee were being duped, as the departments involved would have purchase orders invoices and recorded payments for goods from which an asset register can be made up. He told us that if these audit processes are not undertaken, members may never know the full extent of the amount of money or assets that may be missing. Cllr Thomas also claims that a


former policeman brought in to look at issues within the park was given an investigation remit. He told us that at previous Audit meetings, Cllr Thomas requested the details of the investigation remit but no one seemed to know what it was, as it was considered privileged but would be revealed with the final report. The councillor then went on to say


that he asked the committee if they were aware of any imminent court cases involving the council and Pembrey Country Park. He claims he was told that no one was aware of any imminent cases. An Employment Tribunal case is being heard in Cardiff next month. The Herald understands a further


potential case relates to the catering contract at the Park. Cllr Thomas said: “Prior to 1997,


the park was run like a clock. It seems to have fallen into chaos and a free-for- all after that and we have to look to the management for any culpability. “One of the managers has gone and the head of leisure is still in place. “We need a full forensic audit of the


park. We have been told that there was so much wrong there, yet we are now in 2017 and still no closer to finding out the extent of the potential losses. “I asked if we know exactly how


much money is missing and what assets are missing. I was told that there was no way of telling.” Cllr Thomas continued: “I find that


hard to believe given that we have a purchase history - a paper trail. All we have to do is conduct a forensic audit regarding equipment and a forensic audit regarding finances and we should have at the very least some the answers


Jon Coles


jon.coles@herald.email Alan Evans


alan.evans@herald.email


to the recognised and much documented problems. If there was nothing amiss, why are we undertaking so much time and incurring so much cost in undertaking corrective actions?” What the past issues have been


at Pembrey can be deduced from the anodyne content of the report presented to the Committee last Friday, which included the following statements: • It was not possible to place an assurance that all income due has been collected, recorded, banked, monitored and accurately reflected in the Authority’s accounts.”


• It is not possible to place an assurance that all assets are fully accounted for.”


• It was not possible to demonstrate an adequate control on the use of facilities.


• Arrangements for the storage of fuel at the PCP Depot are inadequate with safety and security issues being identified.


• Insurance provision of customers and event holders at the coastal facilities are not always obtained. The question arises not as to what the


authority is doing now to rectify matters and, if you believe the report, progress is being made. The issue, which not one of the officers before the committee has addressed, is how the situation was permitted, to continue and escalate to the point where it is evident from the council’s own documents that there was no effective governance at Pembrey. So far, most committee members


do not appear to have asked that question and seem equally incurious as to precisely which senior officers knew what and when they knew it. The content of the report and the


inferences to be drawn from its content is that there was fraud at Pembrey and that it involved both cash and machinery. That is a long way from Cllr Pam Palmer’s anguished protestations regarding the integrity of senior officers when the matter was raised at Full Council last year and previous words, parroted by some senior councillors, that there was ‘no evidence of fraud’. More inquisitive members of the


Audit Committee might also want to consider the following: Rory Dickinson, the council’s ‘Countryside and Coast’ manager, pleaded guilty to assaulting Stephanie Thomas of SFS Events. The date of the assault was March 23, 2016, the day after they had been presented


We have to look at how past errors arose: Bill Thomas


with a report which spoke of progress in dealing with ‘historic’ issues. Mr Dickinson left the council’s


employment – he resigned – shortly before entering his guilty plea. We asked the council to respond to


Cllr Thomas’ claims. Carmarthenshire County Council


Director of Corporate Services Chris Moore said: “At Friday’s meeting of the audit committee, the members were provided with an update on the progress


being made in improving the processes operated at Pembrey County Park following the Internal Audit Review that had taken place earlier in the year. “Members were reassured that


significant changes had taken place, including the secondment of a new team of officers, previously unconnected with the park to implement these changes. The committee were also informed that senior officers had been in dialogue with the police regarding the audit issues


previously highlighted. The police have since confirmed that there would be no further action from them relating to these issues, consequently there is no court action outstanding. “The committee did not discuss any


Employment Tribunal matters; these are not covered by criminal courts and it is never appropriate to comment in a public meeting on individual personnel matters. The minutes of the meeting will be published in due course.”


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