KPMG LLP, the appointed auditors of Cheltenham Borough Council, have issued a public interest report which highlights flaws in the decision-making process followed by the Council in pursuing a legal claim for damages against its former Managing Director.
The Council took former Managing Director Christine Laird to the High Court in January 2009, claiming that she had not disclosed relevant information about her health when applying for the post in 2002. The Council lost this case when the judgement was issued in June 2009, and incurred external costs of £1.045million as a result of pursuing the case. The High Court claim came after several years of dispute between Mrs Laird and the Council.