No probe into firms set up by council leader insist NLC
Locked horns over allegations
North Lanarkshire Council this week strongly denied that an investigation is being carried out on two private firms set up by the council leader.
Council chief executive, Paul Jukes, has asked for some factual information about No Leisure Limits (NLL) Ltd and ESCA Ltd so that he can respond to some previous correspondence.
But Wishaw councillor Sam Love insisted he was told by chief executive that an investigation was being carried out after he raised concerns.
But the council say Mr Love may have misinterpreted the discussion during a meeting he had with external auditors and the chief executive.
In September the Wishaw Press reported how council leader Jim Logue faced calls to quit after being accused of breaching the councillors’ code of conduct for failing to declare he was a director of the two private firms.
At the time, Wishaw councillor Sam Love and senior Labour councillors say the under-fire leader’s position was “untenable” and urged him to resign as a councillor.
At last Tuesday’s Wishaw Central Community Council held in the Houldsworth Centre, Councillor Love spoke out about the recent developments.
He said: “I was told that the council were carry out investigation into No Limits Leisure.
“Now the council are denying that it is an investigation..
“I had expressed concerns about these private companies to the chief executive.”
The row began after councillor Logue’s failure to declare his interest as a director of private limited firms ECSA Ltd and No Limits Leisure ( NLL) Ltd – both with council addresses as their base – was a clear breach of the councillors’ code of conduct.
But councillor Logue hit back and described the allegations as a smear campaign against him and claimed he didn’t have to declare he was a director of the companies as they were “subsidiaries” of North Lanarkshire Leisure (NLL).
Councillor Logue’s opponents said that the council had earlier, in 2012, formed Community Interest Company (CIC) for a similar purpose as No Limits Leisure.
Councillor Sam Love said: “The company was already there so there was no need for No Limits Leisure. “Why do that?” Last week the Wishaw Press reported three council workers had been suspended after a serious fraud corruption.
The council suspended three members of staff following the completion of an internal audit investigation.
The audit was carried out following allegations contained in a letter to the council leader in April relating to potential abuse of the council’s procurement processes.
The council are denying it is an investigation Cllr Sam Love