Ferret along with others has been concerned since 2019 with regards to multiple entries in the accounts released by Hemsworth Town Council’s clerk Alan Draper for apparently the same items.
Sometimes there are double entries and even triple entries.
The accounts although governed by legislation, are more often than not released late and the items descriptions leave a lot to be desired, very reminiscent of council meeting agendas and minutes.
The following case caught ferret’s beady eyes, the full report is here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-gloucestershire-64353291.amp
Gloucester accountant jailed for fraud worth almost £150,000
An accountant who cheated three of her clients out of a total of almost £150,000 has been jailed for two years and four months.
Sophie Workman, 32, committed “calculated and persistent fraud” between April 2016 and June 2017.
She was jailed at Gloucestershire Crown Court after admitting five offences of fraud by abuse of position.
What really caught Ferret’s eyes was this one particular aspect of how the fraud was carried out:
Workman (the accountant) set up 40 different bank accounts under various names, and used a series of fake or duplicated invoices to siphon off her victims’ cash.
Hemsworth Town Council: Multiple Account Entries.
Your guess is as good as Ferret’s, but perhaps a forensic auditor would be able to determine the truth?
The accounts are an eye opener,the amount of spending on Amazon and duplicate monthly payments of £168 for jukebox rental be interesting if this entry is on December accounts as it was voted on to have it removed and cancelled at a meeting even by the chair of the council.The vast amount of entries spent on food for the lakeside cafe each month is astounding especially during quiet months and little footfall and apparently at a loss .
The cost to our community on Legal fees is eye watering no wonder the budget for 23/24 is already a disaster,roll on May but sadly recovery from the 4 years of disastrous spending by the Independent run HTC will take some time putting right but the good councillors working together can bring back our community to what it should be a community for all to be apart of.
The older ones will remember the film, Spend, Spend, Spend, HTC, reminds of this and we all now what happened there. Luckily I think we haven’t got there yet looking into the abyss, the councillors need to check every receipt and question dubious invoices ie not enough information and stop big transactions without scrutiny. Ask why payments are going out to same people for the same work .this is not criticism but if the this was done without question the parishioners wouldn’t be sceptical and without going over old ground when parishioners ask for a forensic audit that is what we should have had.
Oh yes Anonymous we can remember the film spend,spend ,spend and what happened,am sure now the right councillors are checking and monitoring every bit of spending and also the public are checking the accounts and questioning the outrageous spending each month the Independents will know we are watching .
The Town clerk signs the finances and agree full expenditure ,full company names and not just initials should be fully entered for full transparency and hopefully once the long awaited Newsboards are erected the monthly accounts should be displayed so the parishioners without social media access can view where and what our precept money is being spent on.