Probe into councillor's allegations that officials were put under pressure

The Citizen, 30 July 1999

Fife Council have launched an independent investigation into allegations that council officials were put under pressure to “stay silent” or “come in line” when preparing reports for controversial golf developments around St Andrews.

Fife’s Chief Executive Douglas Sinclair has asked John Anderson the former Chief Executive of Glasgow City to investigate the allegations made by Councillor Peter Douglas, the chair of the East Area Development Committee.

It was recent press comments by Councillor Douglas, who served Gleneden and Crail, that sparked the investigation. He claimed that he had been telephoned by council officials who said that they had been told to “come in line of stay silent” over reports they had prepared in connection with the Kingask and Scooniehill planning applications.

This week Mr Sinclair said that Fife Council’s Code of Conduct for employees states that every single employee is entitled to expect fair and reasonable treatment from his or her colleagues, managers and from councillors.

He continued - “The Code also provides for ‘whistle blowing’. If an employee feels that he or she has been asked to act in a way that might be illegal, improper or unethical but feels unable to discuss with his or her line manager they can raise it with me. The confidentiality of the employees’ concerns is guaranteed absolutely.”

Mr Sinclair added - “Given the seriousness of Councillor Douglas’s allegations, and in the interests of all the employees concerned, I’ve invited John Anderson to undertake an independent investigation into the allegations and establish whether the Code of Conduct has been broken.

“I want to stress that what we are dealing with are allegations and that no supporting evidence has been produced, to date, to support them. It is in the public interest and the interests of all employees that an independent investigation takes place and this situation is resolved.”