PwC £20,000 probe unveils £130 in unlawful claims

Swansea Council paid its auditors PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) £20,000 for an investigation into alleged fraud by its councillors which uncovered unlawful claims of only £130.

Lis Davies, former Dunvant community councillor, who reported 15 Swansea councillors to South Wales Police and PwC, objected to almost 250 items of expenditure by the councillors in 2006-07. Together with claims made in earlier years, she had estimated false claims of up to £20,000 might have been made.

The councillors who were investigated condemned the cost of the inquiry as a huge waste of public money. Councillor Sylvia Lewis said Davies had cost the Swansea taxpayers more than £20,000 to recover £129.72.

After examining 234 items of expenditure, a PwC report recommended an expenditure of £129.72, which was ‘potentially unlawful’ be reimbursed by the individual members to the authority. ‘We have also made a number of recommendations to the authority to improve its systems and processes regarding members’ expenses,’ PwC partner Lynn Hine said.

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