Topic: So that was it.....

[peach]

...after four years no heads rolled, no one was held to account for giving 450,000GBP (apologies my keyboard no longer has a Pound sign) of council tax payers money to a more than slightly dodgy business for nothing in return? 

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[Geoff Reid]

Not quite. I think several people are waiting for the leadership to orchestrate the re-writing of the cross party wifi'asco report, which will then exonerate itself of any blame and won't point the finger at anyone who is likely to sue.....

....at which point I think 'Hunting season' will declared open.

Councillors have had ample opportunity to be transparent, tell the truth and bare their souls, so they'll only have themselves to blame if the woodentops feel their collars.




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Posted from Galaxy Note using Tapatalk 2 App.

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[Richard Symonds]

Interesting that this should come up now as it is nearly twelve months ago, yes twelve months ago, that Scrutiny agreed to convene a special working party to investigate the Wi-fiasco with a promise to report back in January 2013!!

Well as many of you know I am a regular attendee of Scrutiny and it hasn't even featured on the Agenda!!

I think it is reasonable to ask what the hell is going on?

or is it more a case of they do not know how to cover it up and just hope we will all forget about it?

and the longer it is left the worse is the pubic perception of those involved.

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[bobwright]

Not a case of dithering, reluctance, interference etc. Stated my individual conclusions including responsibilities back in April, leeway given in January for further investigation after finding new information at end of 2012.

Ready for scrutiny when called. Put into the public domain is the only sensible move no matter what difficulty this causes for some.

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[Des Moffatt]

Same as that Bob.
The usual questions, what did you know, when did you know it and what did you do about it? We look forward to answering those questions in a formal setting.

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[Outoftowner]

I was going to wait a month before making the following remark but as the subject cropped up:

The accounts for Digital City UK Ltd were due to have been filed at Companies House on 30 September 2012 and  the next "return" is due to be filed on the 11th of September 2013.

So,once again, the accounts for Digital City are very late. Perhaps the directors are waiting for some public money to pay their accountants to make them up? ( When I say "make them up" I don't mean.....like fiction....obviously.) Did I use that bad joke the last time?

I somehow bet that if I formed a company selling "gizmos" and didn't file my accounts with Companies House, I would be fined.

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[Richard Symonds]

Not a case of dithering, reluctance, interference etc. Stated my individual conclusions including responsibilities back in April, leeway given in January for further investigation after finding new information at end of 2012.

Ready for scrutiny when called. Put into the public domain is the only sensible move no matter what difficulty this causes for some.

Same as that Bob.
The usual questions, what did you know, when did you know it and what did you do about it? We look forward to answering those questions in a formal setting.

So as both of you serve on the working party perhaps you can say on TS why it is taking so long to report?

I believe this to be important as it appears from what you say that you are quite happy to do so, or am I incorrect?

So what is the cause of the delay?

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[Mickraker]

Yep it looks that way as councillors are talking to BT about super fast broadband    http://www.swindonadvertiser.co.uk/news/10719688.Drive_is_on_for_more_superfast_coverage/

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[Outoftowner]

Here is the latest from Companies House about Digital City (UK) Ltd.

Next Accounts Due: 30/09/2012 OVERDUE; Next Return Due: 11/09/2013 OVERDUE

It seems that, according to quite an extensive article in the last but one edition of Private Eye, Companies House aren't really up to the job. Be that as it may, why on earth don't the Directors wind up Digital City and then the requirement to sent files to Companies House will end. (and the requirement for SBC taxpayers to pay for it will also end!)

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[swindoncentric]

The politicians may not be talking, but someone is. This is from the September edition of Wiltshire Business magazine.

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[jennyb]

The delay in publishing this investigatory report does not reflect well on any of those involved... Does it?

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[Outoftowner]

I was just driving home for some lunch with Radio 2 switched on, (October 30th 2013 at about 13:30 for iPlayer users) when I heard a "Roderick" from Swindon telling the radio presenter all about his father getting on a "Kindertrain" from Vienna and escaping to Britain as WW11 loomed. It seems that Roderick has spent the last few months working on his family tree and has discovered the terrible fate of his ancestors. This is all very sad and it is good to remind people of what can happen, and is still happening in many countries, if too much power gets into the hands of dedicated fanatics.  However...........

I think that I recognised "Roderick's" voice, although I did not catch his surname. I do hope that a "Poor me, Pity me," campaign isn't being generated ahead of the upcoming Wi-Fi report being issued. It wouldn't be the first time that he has used this ploy.

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[Tobes]

Hmmm... I'm going to play Devil's Advocate and suggest that might be unfair OOT.

Until he combines the two himself, they ought to be entirely separate issues.

Anything which shows evidence in the face of neo fascists and nutters like Rob that the war DID happen and that the holocaust had a real impact on a generation of people we are losing to old age is important, relevant and to be commended in my opinion.

(There was also a pice in the Swindon Heritage Magazine too)

Rod may have soiled his reputation on TS through other deeds and words, but he has every right to talk about his family's past in this context, IMO (Remembrance Day fast approaching_

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[Outoftowner]

You are quite correct Tobes but I find it odd that 2 days ago Digital City (UK) were gazetted at Companies House ready for strike-off and today Roddy starts talking about the terrible things that happened to his father's family during the second world war.

I can't help but think that the political Spin Doctors, having had plenty of time to read the, as yet, unpublicised report, have decided what response to make. Lets see if the report comes out in, say, the next week.

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[Richard Symonds]

can't help but think that the political Spin Doctors, having had plenty of time to read the, as yet, unpublicised report, have decided what response to make. Lets see if the report comes out in, say, the next week.

I am afraid that the report, as I understand it, has yet to be agreed among the 'Working Party' although they concluded their investigations last April and then when they do it has to go before the Scrutiny Committee before it can be published.

Significantly Leader Renard refused to answer public questions at Council last time and said it was a matter for Scrutiny.  Chairman Small promised that it would be concluded before the end of the year.

Reference to the Police was made so are they starting to flex their muscles?

For what was in fact said and by whom please view the beginning of the video of last Council (see Video Box).

Rod Bluh has not answered questions on the subject since he stepped down as leader.

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[ph1lc]

I find it strange that Renard is not pushing for the publication. That the report will be critical of the current administration is inevitable, unless an unbelievable stitch up is planned. It is Renard's party that has a majority of one.

The sooner they publish the more time for the furore to die down before next May's elections.

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[Richard Symonds]

I find it strange that Renard is not pushing for the publication. That the report will be critical of the current administration is inevitable, unless an unbelievable stitch up is planned. It is Renard's party that has a majority of one.

The sooner they publish the more time for the furore to die down before next May's elections.

But if they cannot agree what to publish, how can they actually do so?

I believe this difficulty lies with political persuasion.

But as you say they will have to face it sooner or later so why not now?

If they cannot agree I suggest they individually publish whatever they believe to be true and whatever they believe happened to the money. 

This dead body has no clothes so why try to provide any because for sure it is not a matter of dignity, this whole damned affair covers no one in glory!!

I wonder if Rod Bluh actually still believes it was a good idea?

or has come to appreciate it was a criminally insane concept that never stood a chance anyway?

and as an Accountant he should have known better surely?

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[bobwright]

Three times in my work life Directors have attempted to force me to do the wrong thing. On each occasion I refused and dealt with the consequences. Equally I respect Des for his fortitude, he can be asked but not pushed.

We have to learn from the Wifi experience; to produce a report where we don't learn anything about the decisions and responsibility will satisfy no one.

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[Tobes]

I can't help but think that the political Spin Doctors,

take it from an ex spin doctor of 12 years experience, IF the conservatives have someone advising them, unless they are a complete idiot, they'd be advising an open and full confessional as quickly as possible.

The longer the truth remains corked on this, the greater the stink when things finally do come into the open.

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[Terry Reynolds]

When this debate was going full speed, I asked, at least twice on this site, why, those in opposition, can't force an emergency debate on this issue and get the facts out in the open, surely that is now not beyond being put forward. They have much to gain and and  surely nothing to loose, so why are they not pushing it?

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