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Sacked council chief exec demands payout of more than £300k

News | Rhys Williams | Published: 14:51, Thursday October 24th, 2019.
Last updated: 16:47, Thursday October 24th, 2019

Caerphilly County Borough Council's former chief executive Anthony O'Sullivan
Caerphilly County Borough Council’s former chief executive Anthony O’Sullivan

Sacked Caerphilly County Borough Council chief executive Anthony O’Sullivan has demanded a payout of £319,337.

Mr O’Sullivan’s demands are set to be discussed by councillors in a special meeting on Monday, October 28.

Of the £319,337 figure, £159,772 is a claim for holiday pay, while £41,841 is a claim for legal costs and £79,684 for returning officer fees.

The figure also includes a claim for a £22,000 salary reinstatement from May 2017, as well as a £15,000 pay award for a chief executive.

The total figure could rise to £328,000 due to a pay rise Mr O’Sullivan could be entitled to.

Mr O’Sullivan, who was dismissed on October 3 on the grounds of gross misconduct, was first suspended on full pay of £137,000 a year in 2013 after he was accused of ordering unlawful pay rises for himself and colleagues.

Deputy chief executive Nigel Barnett and head of legal Daniel Perkins were paid off after criminal charges were dropped against the trio, but the council could not come to an agreement with Mr O’Sullivan.

The saga has cost the authority more than £4.1 million in salaries and legal expenses.

However, Mr O’Sullivan has said he will appeal his sacking, insisting he has ‘nothing to apologise for’.

Earlier this month, Caerphilly AM Hefin David spoke about the sacking in the Senedd, saying: “Disreputable, dishonest and should have been dismissed long ago – these are the views of Caerphilly residents about Anthony O’Sullivan, the disgraced and now finally dismissed chief executive of Caerphilly County Borough Council.”

Meanwhile, Wayne David MP called on Mr O’Sullivan to pay back the salary he received while suspended on full pay.

Speaking after Mr O’Sullivan was sacked, Plaid Cymru group leader, Cllr Colin Mann, said: “Money has been spent on paying senior officers to stay at home, legal and audit fees when it should have been spent on frontline services, such as keeping public toilets open, keeping street lights on and securing the future of all our leisure centres. The losers have been the residents of the county borough.”

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