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A councilor is being investigated over benefit fraud charges (16 May 2013)

Date: 16/05/2013
Duncan Lewis, Legal News Solicitors, A councilor is being investigated over benefit fraud charges

A councilor for Tilbury Riverside and Thurrock Park has been under investigation for circumstances surrounding housing benefit fraud relating to properties in Tilbury and Loughton.
The opposition councillors had called for an independent review after a leaked council e-mail had suggested that a Labour councillor was being investigated for benefit fraud.
The news paper reporting the incident has said it had seen a memo from Thurrock Council official which suggested that there was an investigation against the councillor.
The e-mail alleged that Cllr Baldwin was interviewed in October, 2012, about living arrangements with a partner at the home in Loughton, and later at a property in Tilbury, where she was claiming housing benefit, without declaring she was co-habiting.
Thurrock Conservative group leader, Cllr Phil Anderson, has called for an inquiry after seeing the e-mail, saying he had “grave concerns” over the affair.
The paper was first made aware of an investigation in November and lodged a Freedom of Information request asking if the council “had investigated or prosecuted any councillors or senior council staff in the past year.
But the council had responded by saying that the council had not prosecuted or completed any investigations against councillors or senior council staff in the last year.
When the paper sought clarification, the council refused to give any more information. The paper had since lodged a formal complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office, which was under investigation.
When the paper approached Ms Baldwin and council leader John Kent, both had refused to comment but after seeing the report Cllr Anderson said that it was not appropriate for them to comment on some serious allegations which were going to be heard in the court hearing.
A council spokesman said only time Thurrock Council would make any comment on fraud investigations it was carrying out would be when court action was being taken and possibly not until the court had made a decision.
Therefore it would be inappropriate to comment on allegations such as these and the council cannot confirm or deny the allegations.
Thurrock Council refuted that the council had given any false information and that it stood by the FoI response it sent.

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