A Cefn Fforest councillor has been suspended for two months for “disrespectful and bullying behaviour”.
Independent councillor Graham Simmonds was investigated by the Public Services Ombudsman for Wales after two allegations of a breach of the councillors’ code of conduct was made against him.
Following the allegations, ombudsman Peter Tyndall drew up a report which was then considered by Caerphilly County Borough Council’s standards committee – who imposed the two month ban.
The two allegations centre around Cllr Simmonds’ attendance at a Regeneration Scrutiny Committee on July 7 2009 and a meeting of the Cefn Fforest Community Partnership on July 9 2009.
Mr Tyndall, in his report, concluded that Cllr Simmonds bullied and attempted to undermine scrutiny committee chairwoman Cllr Vera Jenkins, who made the first complaint.
According to the report, Cllr Simmonds interrupted a council officer five times as he tried to present a traffic report relating to Blackwood.
Cllr Jenkins told the investigation how she had asked Cllr Simmonds to show respect and was almost on the verge of abandoning the meeting before others intervened – including the council’s current chief executive Anthony O’Sullivan, who was then Director of the Environment.
The second allegation relates to a meeting of Cefn Fforest Community Partnership on July 9 2009.
Senior community regeneration co-ordinator Tina McMahon said Cllr Simmonds refused to agree the partnership’s accounts without giving reason and stopped the meeting progressing.
Ms McMahon said she had witnessed “bullying and aggressive behaviour”.
Cllr Simmonds told the ombudsman the meeting was “very fractious from the outset” and he was prevented from asking about a cheque cashed by the partnership that was not in the accounts.
In his report, ombudsman Mr Tyndall said Cllr Simmonds concluded: “In my opinion, there was a pattern of disrespectful and bullying behaviour that brings Cllr Simmonds’ office and the council into disrepute.”
Cllr Simmonds has 21 days to appeal to the Adjudication Panel for Wales.
The full investigation report into Cllr Simmonds’ behaviour can be read here.
If this councillor has been suspended for two Months is he still able to collect his councillors allowance,I hope not.
David Smith.
Do we need elected representatives to behave so badly in this fashion.I think NOT.
If this is how this man behaves why does anyone bother voting for him? If Councillors are representatives of the people they serve then I'm glad he doesn’t represent me!
Hi.
Cllr Simmonds obviously felt very strongly about the isues.
There are two sides to every story, it would be interesting to hear his version of events, before any comments are made.
(By the way what happened to the cheque)