Ex-council man charged with embezzlement

A FORMER Dundee City Council employee has been charged by police over the alleged embezzlement of a near seven-figure sum from the cash-strapped l ocal authority.

Police Scotland confirmed that the 51-year-old man had been charged and a report is to be submitted to the procurator fiscal in relation t o t he alleged offence.

The council said it could not comment on the alleged embezzlement, which i s understood to have taken place over at l east five years.

The local authority confirmed, however, that it no longer employs the individual at the centre of the inquiry.

A council spokesman said: “It would not be appropriate to comment on an ongoing legal matter.

“We can confirm that the individual i s no l onger employed by Dundee City Council.”

One council insider said the man, who is understood to have worked in the I T and customer services department, had been a “long-serving employee”.

They said: “Police have been in to investigate and he has been charged.

“It is believed it goes all the way back to 2012.”

The man has not been detained by police and will appear in court once a report has been submitted to the procurator fiscal.

Like l ocal authorities across Scotland, Dundee City Council is having to reduce costs by millions of pounds due to funding constraints.

It has to find £23 million of savings this year and will have to make even more savings in 2017-18.