Chief Executive Mark Williams revealed to the audience at the packed Council Chamber last night, that EDDC has referred Councilor Graham Brown for investigation by the police. He also said that Council officer Nigel Harrison, the Economic Development Manager has been suspended from his duty as Honorary Secretary of the Business Forum while investigations are being carried out.

Despite this, Mr Williams completely ignored calls for his own resignation for having turned a blind eye to systemic conflicts of interest at the East Devon Business Forum, which Councillor Brown has chaired since 2007. A steady barrage of formal complaints from the public has accelerated in the past year, all firmly brushed aside by Mr. Williams and his senior aides. In reply to a letter on this subject from MP Hugo Swire, Mr Williams dismissed the complaints as being without substance , and informed him that people who were complaining were ‘a small group of politically-motivated activists’.  There was no mention that in 2009, Brown had been removed from his position as Business Champion because of ‘suspicions of impropriety’ over planning issues, by the Council’s own Leader at the time,  Sara Randall-Johnson.

More on last night’s Task and Finish Forum Meeting  on Radio Devon this morning http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/player/bbc_radio_devon

Reports will be also be posted shortly on SOS website.

See also SIN blog http://sidmouthindependentnews.wordpress.com/