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News and Comment April 2014

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7 April (Part 2) - Council liars extend their influence yet again

It’s only four months since I sent evidence of Misconduct in Public Office by two previous Bexley borough police commanders to Commissioner Hogan-Howe and since then a Deputy Assistant Commissioner has been very attentive. I cannot see any possible way that one of the officers, Dave Stringer, could ever get off the hook considering the documentary evidence but I will be pleasantly surprised if he doesn’t. Now I find myself (†) going down the same path all over again.

The first two Commanders were stupid enough to react to the admitted political interference that surrounded the Peter Craske affair, first telling me there was no evidence and after they were pushed into identifying the culprit, considering whether they could get away with telling me the trail had gone cold so as to get the culprit off the hook as soon as possible. It’s all there in black and white.


AlabiThe new case revolves around the case of meeting closer councillor Cheryl Bacon. The only way she could avoid the charge of illegally holding a ‘Closed Session’ meeting was to say sorry and not do it again, or lie her socks off that six members of the public had run riot in the council chamber. She chose the latter course and Akin Alabi, the council’s Head of Legal Services, Lynn Tyler, his Team Manager, Nick Hollier, Head of Human Resources and Will Tuckley, Chief Executive, none of whom were witnesses to the events of 19th June last year, all had to write in support of another Bexley council liar. Fortunately a handful of honest councillors from both parties who did see what happened have sent me signed email statements to the effect that many lies have been told.

Before taking this evidence further it seemed like a good idea to get the police to confirm that one of Akin Alabi’s statements was a bare faced lie. Viz. That five members of the public were asked to leave the Council Chamber by a council official in the presence of two police officers and all of them refused. The police then had to eject them.

The police were very reluctant to admit anything but having taken a month to think about it, eventually backed Alabi’s version of events.


Bexley TimesThe two police officers should ask themselves why they felt able to be a little critical of Bexley council and claim to be Bonkers’ readers if they were in the presence of council staff. When I wrote last June’s blog I had no knowledge of what would follow and could not have modified the truth in order to prove Bexley council to be liars nine or ten months down the line.

The police’s reference to reading Bexley is Bonkers was a simple statement of the truth as was the statement that the police entered the chamber alone. They asked the members of the public what they planned to do next and made no suggestions nor give any instructions. Does anyone really believe I would have described them as “two jovial Bobbies” if they had indulged in the strong arm tactics that Akin Alabi has described? Both officers were entirely sympathetic to the members of the public present. Akin Alabi, pictured above, is a disgrace to his profession and I am confident that most people will reach the same conclusion about him as I have.


News ShopperThe police might also care to ask themselves why it was, if five people refused the council’s request to leave their building, and had previously been “so disruptive it was impossible to continue [the meeting]” they did not arrest them, and why when asked for a statement by the local press they said that no offences had been committed.

I would suggest to you that the most recent communication from Chief Inspector Ian Broadbridge, who is, I must emphasise, and as far as I know, just the unfortunate messenger in this case, another attempt by Bexley police to pervert the course of justice. I’d lay money on Chief Superintendent Peter Ayling being involved.

The police officers who appear to be either entirely mistaken, or more likely been put in an unenviable position, are PCs Shaun Kelly and Peter Arthurs. As former Bexleyheath police Inspector Mick Barnbrook is always so keen to tell me, honest police officers are constantly pressurised by corrupt superiors and they are powerless to do anything about it. It’s why they so often have to shred valuable evidence.

† The only good thing that I can see about this development is that Mick Barnbrook has agreed to put forward the formal allegation of Misconduct in Public Office against Kelly and Arthurs rather than leave the letter writing to me.

 

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