Yesterday a panel including 3 labour councillors found me guilty of bringing the Borough Council into disrepute. https://www.nuneatonandbedworth.gov.uk/meetings/meeting/1632/standards_hearing
It was the normal farce, a Labour councillor (who I cannot name) complained about a single line comment on the NBBConline Youtube channel. The council was not smart enough to disable comments, delete comments they do not like or even reply with their alternative view.
Instead they asked YouTube to delete the comment (which took months) and wasted £1,000s and 18 months taking me though the rotten complaints process. They put all the information for the standards hearing on “pink papers” and said it was covered by Sections 1 and 2 of part 1 of Schedule 12A of the Local Government Act. That makes it illegal for me to tell people much about it. This time they refused permission for my wife to see the papers before the meeting and would have her go though hoops to see them, only after the meeting had started, only if she signed some unseen agreement and only if the panel allowed.
It was not going to be a good hearing. There was a panel of 3 Labour councillors plus a parish councillor from North Warwickshire who is supposed to be the independent person. It was clear that it was very pre-arranged. The first item was to appoint a chair for the meeting. The solicitor had given the game away by placing Cllr G. Daffern nameplate in fount of the chairs position and then rapidly removing it before the meeting had started. The other two Labour councillors have been extremely hostile to me over the last 4 years, John Haynes and Jill Sheppard. They preferred to have the new councillor as chair. You can see Cllr Haynes comments from the past in my Youtube videos and Cllr Sheppard has stopped me speaking at several of this years council meetings on things like depot overspend.
I wanted to use the rights in the public speaking slot before the meeting went into closed session to argue why the meeting and paperwork should not be kept secret; why I should be able to have my wife’s’ help with my defence and how stupid the process was for just one sentence made on Youtube. They said I could not speak in public session, as I was a councilor, I made it clear that I had human rights to a fair trail and free speech. They then adjourned the meeting for five minutes to discuss the human rights implications of allowing me to speak to them before going into confidential session.
On restarting they said I was not allowed to speak in the public part of the meeting. I then spoke to explain about my right to a fair trial and the ordered filming to stop when I tried to say the one line I had written on Youtube.
Here is the video of them saying I was not allowed to speak in public at my own trial.
Then today I finally managed to speak some one in legal department and found out my fate. Needless to say, it is the council that is bring itself into disrepute by allowing a secret kangaroo trials, so I will not be apologising. The council probably uses the same methods on staffs, who face the loss of their jobs and home if they make a fuss.
Dear Councillor Kondakor
Further to our telephone conversation this morning, I can confirm that the outcome of yesterday’s Standards Hearing was that you were found to have breached paragraph 5 of the Code of Conduct. The sanctions imposed, include a Censure, Training and a formal written apology to the Managing Director for bringing the Authority into disrepute.
As the report before the Hearing Panel was resolved as being exempt under the Local Government Act 1972, it is therefore not disclosable in its current format. A formal Decision Notice will be prepared in consultation with the Chair of the hearing panel and will be sent to you in due course and the decision will be published accordingly.
There is no right of appeal against the decision of the hearings panel. You may however, wish to seek your own legal advice regarding this matter, should you wish to do so.
Kind regards
Waheeda Sheikh