No investigation into council leader pay-out comments

Wales' public services watchdog has decided not to investigate the leader of Caerphilly County Borough Council over discussions of the former chief executive's departure.

Sean Morgan referred himself to the Public Services Ombudsman after he defended a settlement for Christina Harry in an email to a resident.

Other councillors had been warned not to discuss the matter, under threat of being investigated for breaching rules on behaviour at the council.

A spokesperson for the ombudsman's office told the Local Democracy Reporting Service that it was "not investigating" the matter.

Caerphilly council courted controversy last year after it agreed a settlement costing £209,000 to pay off its former chief executive.

The payment was agreed in a meeting closed to the public, with councillors told not to discuss the matter.

Later, BBC Wales learned that despite the warnings Labour's Morgan had written an email defending the pay-out to a local resident.

He told the resident that the settlement "was the lowest cost option for the council", and claimed that the chief executive would not receive the whole amount.

After enquiries from the BBC, Caerphilly council said the councillor has referred himself to the Public Services Ombudsman, external "in the interests of transparency".

Councillor Lindsay Whittle, who heads the Plaid Cymru opposition group in the council, suggested the leader "clearly… thought he was in the wrong" when he decided to contact the ombudsman's office, however.

Whittle also said the leader may have decided that referring himself "before someone else reported him would be the best way to try to avoid an investigation".

The search for Caerphilly council's new chief executive is nearing its end.

The council's appointments committee met twice last week to shortlist and interview candidates, and all councillors are expected to meet on Thursday 30 January to discuss an appointment.

Deputy chief executive Dave Street has been filling in on an interim basis since Ms Harry left the local authority.