Charges against head of legal and other senior officers at Welsh council dropped

Charges against the head of legal services and two other senior officers at Caerphilly County Borough Council have been dropped.

In February 2014 Avon & Somerset Police charged Caerphilly’s chief executive Anthony O’Sullivan and its deputy chief executive, Nigel Barnett, with misconduct in public office. It also reported head of legal Daniel Perkins for summons in connection with the same offence.

The charges followed an investigation conducted at the request of Gwent Police.

According to the BBC, a trial date had been set for November 2015 at Bristol Crown Court.

A spokesman for Caerphilly County Borough Council said: “We have received confirmation this afternoon that the charges against the three senior officers have been dropped. The three officers will remain suspended while the council now deals with the matter in accordance with its own procedures.”
 
Cllr Keith Reynolds, Leader of CCBC, said: “Many people will be extremely concerned and frustrated about the length of time this process has taken and the costs that have been incurred to date. There are serious questions to be asked of the CPS about the length of time taken and we will be seeking to recover the salary costs of the suspended officers which are now in excess of £1m.”