What boils my p*ss about the useless Labour Council in Sandwell is that they are claiming - in 2020 - to STILL be investigating Bawa whilst he is failing to co-operate. What is even more incredible is that I wrote to this pathetic greaser asking why he was not co-operating with the Council's investigations and he went crying to the Monitoring Officer - the very person who is supposed to be expeditiously running the investigation which he is trying to stymie.
Accordingly here is my letter to the Forfeiture Committee requesting revocation of the 2002 honour he so richly doesn't deserve:
"I am writing to request that the Forfeiture Committee consider the revocation of the OBE awarded to Babu Singh Bawa on the above date.
History pre-award
In the late 1990's Bawa became involved in property transactions surrounding the Compulsory Purchase of land (CPO) by Sandwell Council at West Bromwich Street and Foundry Lane Oldbury. Bawa was a serving Councillor from 1994 to 2008 and then from 2010 to the present (ie at all material times.)
On 7th April, 2000 Bawa purchased land from the Council of which he was an elected member at Bridge Street, Oldbury.
Unsubstantiated rumours about these transactions were prevalent locally straight away but were seemingly ignored by the Honours Committee when granting an honour in 2002 for Bawa's alleged and unfathomable "services to the community."
In January, 2017 Sandwell Council announced that it had "found indications that suggest fraudulent practice against the Council may have taken place." It was alleged by the Council that in or around 1999 (before the grant of the OBE) Bawa benefitted from "a unique CPO pilot scheme." An exclusive bidding scheme was introduced for self-build plots after the vast majority of the residents affected by the Compulsory Purchase Order had already been relocated and was expressly restricted to plots of land which Bawa and another councillor had expressed interest in in 1998. Bawa submitted one or more bids for the said plots in 1999 (before the Honours award.) The Council considered the bids to be "suspicious". At least one plot was conveyed to Bawa on 7th April, 2000 at, the Council say, a value below the guide price and contrary to the terms of the "unique agreement".
History post-award.
In 2007 Bawa - still a serving Councillor - failed to declare an interest when submitting a planning application in relation to land at Bridge Street, Oldbury which he had purchased (probably as above) from Sandwell Council.
I publicly disclosed serious questions about Bawa's conduct as long ago as 2nd November, 2014 but, astonishingly, Sandwell Council are STILL investigating this affair over five and a half years later!
I appreciate that the role of the Forfeiture Committee is not an investigatory one and I suspect that, as an establishment body, you are unlikely to admit to any fault on the part of yourselves in failing to properly investigate this person before making the award in late 2002. However, a further issue arises in that Bawa has refused to co-operate with the Council's own investigations into this matter (as recorded officially by the Council in a Schedule dated February, 2020.) This has caused Bawa to be subject to a further Standards Investigation on this point also since the Council's own code of conduct provides:
"You must at all times facilitate and engage with the Council and its committees on probity and ethical matters and submit yourself to scrutiny necessary to ensure this without any undue delay."
You may well say that this issue is best left to the Council but even leaving aside the Council's own record in the last few years of fraud, cronyism, corruption and incompetence the fact remains that having failed to investigate this matter for so many years the Council cannot be relied upon to come to a sensible conclusion. Bawa continues to claim taxpayers' funds as an elected member whilst showing utter contempt for the Council and the community which the Honours Committee claims he somehow "serves".
Whilst it is hard to imagine Sandwell Council being in even greater disrepute than it already is, Bawa's attempts to stymie a proper investigation bring both himself and the Council's various investigative bodies even lower in the estimation of the local "community". It can hardly be said "oh well nothing has been proved" when (a) the process has been shockingly dilatory and (b) Bawa himself has failed to co-operate.
I should add that I have written to Bawa to see if he has any explanation for his shoddy conduct but no excuse has been forthcoming.
Bawa has not acted meritoriouslly. His deliberate failure to comply with the democratic process stains his own "reputation". He besmirches the particular honour given to him and also brings the whole awards system into disrepute. It seems incredible that he was worthy of honour in 2002 but he most certainly isn't now. Please reconsider this unfortunate affair.
Yours faithfully,
Julian Saunders
And Finally....
As Covid 19 brutally exposes the major health issues in Sadders after 46 years of Labour "success" I have been applying my mind to improving local fitness - particlarly as Red Yvonne and the comrades are busy destroying green spaces across the benighted Borough. Alas walking and running are difficult because of the industrial quantities of dog sh*t everywhere. This picture put me in mind of a few things (oooh, errrrr) including the possible answer to the problem - though be sure to wash your wheels when you get home!
THE SANDWELL SKIDDER - COMMUNITY NEWS - READ THE SKIDDER, KIDDER!
**** Phone No: 07470 624207 ****
Email: thesandwellskidder@gmail.com
Facebook: Julian Saunders
Facebook Group: The Sandwell Skidder - Speaking Truth To Power!
Twitter: @SandwellSkidder
Post: Jules Saunders, 11 Chelworth Road, Birmingham B38 0BG
PROUD TO HAVE BEEN TROLLED BY DICKHEAD DARREN COOPER DECEASED!
LEGAL NOTICE (Version 2 from 15th February, 2020)
I cannot list every previous mention of individuals referred to in the entirety of this blog. Where I refer to a specific story please follow the supplied hyperlink since this forms legal justification for later comments. Similarly references to “posts passim” and to earlier posts mean any individuals concerned about purported defamatory material should read later posts in the context of earlier posts. Full information can also be supplied within a reasonable time upon application via email to thesandwellskidder@gmail.com
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: only a member of this blog may post a comment.