Corby Cube: Police given 'suspicious' council report

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-23477085

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The "suspicious" findings of an audit report into the financial dealings of Corby Borough Council have been passed to the police for investigation.

The report examined the handling of four major projects at the council, including the Corby Cube, the cost of which went from £35m to nearly £50m.

The report was handed to the police by Conservative councillors on Friday.

Councillor Tom Beattie, leader of the Labour run council, said any "criminal investigation was unlikely to succeed."

Councillor Rob McKellar, the Conservative group's spokesman for legal affairs, said: "We have turned the report over to the police because in our view some of its findings are suspicious."

How the cost of the Cube project was allowed to spiral was one of the questions raised in the report by auditors KPMG. The issue was discussed by councillors 10 days ago.

The Corby Cube houses council offices, a library, theatre and a register office.

'Throwing money away'

Speaking after the meeting, Councillor David Sims, leader of the Corby Conservative Group, said the people of Corby had been let down by the Labour administration.

"The council should, at the very least, issue an apology to the people of this borough," he said.

"It was millions the council have lost and it's the people of Corby who are having a hard time paying their bills, yet we're just throwing money away - it's scandalous."

Mr Beattie said: "The council will, of course, co-operate fully with any police investigation. As we did with the KPMG investigation itself.

"Whilst it is open to any elected member or member of the public to refer the report to the police our external independent legal advice was that any criminal investigation was unlikely to succeed, however this is something that we are keeping under review."