Agenda and minutes

Reconvened from 30 November 2015, Ethics Committee - Monday, 29th February, 2016 10.00 am

Venue: Committee Rooms 2 and 3 - Council House. View directions

Contact: Gurdip Paddan  Tel: 024 7683 3075 Email:  gurdip.paddan@coventry.gov.uk

Items
No. Item

RE-CONVENED MEETING FROM 30 NOVEMBER 2015

1.

Declarations of Interest

Minutes:

There were no Declarations of Interest.

2.

Hearing into Complaint under Code of Conduct pdf icon PDF 113 KB

a)Preliminary Matters for Determination

 

b) Presentation of the Investigating Officer’s Report

 

c) Presentation of the Complainant’s Case

 

d) Summing Up

 

e) Views/Submissions of the Independent Person

 

f)  Determination of Complaint

 

g) Sanctions (if applicable)

 

 

Additional documents:

Minutes:

Coventry City Council

Minutes of the Meeting of Ethics Committee held at 10.00 am on Monday

30 November 2015 and Reconvened at 10.00am on Monday 29 February 2016

 

Present:

 

Members:

Councillor J Clifford (Chair)

 

Councillor A Andrews

Councillor L Bigham

Councillor D Gannon

Councillor J McNicholas

 

Employees (by Directorate):

 

 

Independent Person

 C Bradford, Resources Directorate

 G Paddan, Resources Directorate

 F Collingham, Chief Executive Directorate

 

 K Sloan

 

 

Other Members

Present

 

 

Others Present

 

 

Councillor G Duggins

Councillor A Lucas

Councillor J Mutton

 

Complainants, Investigating Officer, Solicitors, Press, Public

 

 

Public Business<AI1>

 

16.  Apologies

 

  There were no apologies for absence

 

17.  Declarations of Interest

 

There were no declarations of interest.

 

18.  Hearing into Complaint under Code of Conduct

 

The Ethics Committee received a report of the Executive Director of Resources which set out brief details of a complaint.  Members considered the following:

 

a)  Preliminary Matters for Determination

 

b)  Presentation of the Complainant’s Case

 

c)  Presentation of the Investigating Officer’s Report

 

 

The hearing was adjourned at this point.

 

19.  Reconvened Hearing into Complaint under Code of Conduct

 

The meeting was reconvened on 29 February 2016.  The Complainant and the Investigating Officer gave a summary of their respective cases before the summing up.

d)  Summing Up

 

e)  Views/Submissions of the Independent Person

 

f)  Determination of Complaint

 

g)  Sanctions (if applicable)

 

RESOLVED that the conclusion of the Committee is as set out in the Decision Letter attached as Appendix 1 to these minutes.

 

  APPENDIX 1

 

COVENTRY CITY COUNCIL

 

DECISION NOTICE OF ETHICS COMMITTEE

 

A

Complaint by: Mishcon de Reya, Solicitors on behalf of

 

Arvo Master Funding

 

SISU |Capital Limited

 

Sky Blue Sports and Leisure Limited

 

Otium Entertainment Group Limited ( trading as Coventry City Football Club)

 

Ms Joy Seppala

 

Ms Laura Deering

 

(“the Complainants”)

 

 

 

B

Subject Members: Councillor Ann Lucas OBE 

  Councillor John Mutton

 

 

 

C

Introduction

 

1.

 

On 30th November 2015 and 29th February 2016, the Ethics Committee of Coventry City Council considered a report of an investigation into the alleged conduct of Cllr Ann Lucas, OBE and Cllr John Mutton, both members of Coventry City Council. A general summary of the complaint is set out below.

 

 

 

D

Complaint summary

 

 

2.

The Complainants made a number of allegations about the behaviour of Cllr Lucas and Cllr Mutton. These can be summarised as follows:

 

 

2.1

Cllr Mutton’s conduct in meetings with Ms Seppala and Ms Deering was unacceptable;

 

 

2.2

Cllr Mutton failed to declare relevant interests;

 

 

2.3

Cllr Lucas and Cllr Mutton failed to make decisions in an objective and unbiased way;

 

 

2.4

Cllr Lucas and Cllr Mutton made public comments which were not appropriate for elected members to make and which were defamatory of, and prejudicial to some or all of the Complainants; and

 

 

2.5

Cllr Lucas and Cllr Mutton instigated and participated in a public smear campaign against the Complainants through the media.

 

 

2.6

The grounds for complaint set out at 2.1 to 2.5 above are  ...  view the full minutes text for item 2.