FIVE ARRESTED IN HARTLEPOOL investigation into £78 million landfill tax fraud

[Shepherd]

I used to put the odd comment on to the old High Tax Hartlepool forum a few years back but stopped when it was crippled by what I can only assume was a cyber attack before a local election and I thought it was dead. Obviously not - I recognise a number of posters IDs from the past.

As a new boy here, and I have found this chain most interesting, and as someone who has spent most of his working life away from the town I am not really "up" on what goes on, though clearly there appears to be "corruption" on an industrial scale and more "blind eyes" than Nelson could ever have dreamed of. So my question to those better informed than me is - Where will this go?

I predicted Angie W. would finish up in Court for embezzling or similar charge the day her and Cranny were "awarded" their £640k for "who cares NE" or what ever it was called, and Angie duly obliged. We await her outcome.

This fraud though, is crime of a different colour and the scale is epic, but given what we know, is it likely that we will see the great and the good brought to book by the Revenue people as this rolls out and people blab, as there must be a trail from these companies to the bank accounts of those that that has so ably assisted them???

Also where does this leave all of these housing developments that have been rubber stamped by the planning committee to build all over the town while the same committee helpfully declines the almost £30k a time that should have been used to help kids in the town, but whose cost would make the schemes nonviable? I can only assume there is not much of a margin in the sale if that's the case, and if that is so, why bother?

Unless we are not being told the truth?

[marky]

Never been much of a believer in coincidences. Just before this story broke, HBC announced that it was changing the recycling contract because 'the rate of recycling was declining and the then company being paid to handling recycling could cope.' I did hear that the new company is SITA and that at least a couple of the local labour councillors hold shares.

[mk1]

SITA? Did somebody mention SITA?

http://www.thenorthernecho.co.uk/business/news/13791183.Unions_call_for__quot_forensic_wage_audit_quot__into_Tees_energy_plant/?ref=rss

Mr Cason added: "We also want to avoid the situation where the infrastructure to burn waste is completed and owned by Sita and, as competition is wiped out, prices to remove and burn waste from local authorities could rise, placing an unfair burden on the council taxpayer."

The waste-to-energy plant's construction has been the focus of union action, with hundreds of protesters demonstrating near the factory over pay, alleged favouring of foreign workers, poor treatment of migrant staff and a disregard for safety.

Sita Sembcorp UK has consistently denied the accusations, and always said it doesn't agree with any claims about the factory build.


I am sure none of the Comrades will have anything to do with such a bad employer....................

[steveL]

[stokoe]

Looks like to me lets see who can have a sh**e first.

[Land Phil]

Expensive bin wagons ...

http://www.exoticspotter.com/mclaren-p1-hartlepool-united-kingdom-159296

[Ste P]

Normally when Hartlepool Council investigate themselves (both its officers actions and the actions of councilors) typically and always they have nothing further to answer for and all is forgotten and fine.

There is an alleged fraud of tax evasion and money laundering here with a figure of £78 million involved so unlike the general population of Hartlepool not trusting its council to investigate themselves or such matters, we need to thank our lucky stars that its the HMRC, National Police and the CPS that are looking for convictions. 

HMRC, the National Police Squad and the CPS will not muck around here and will leave no stone unturned.

If I were a senior council officer or an elected councilor that was involved in anything remotely dodgy (gifts, adventure holidays and holidays) then I would be worried, very worried because they could highlight that as criminal, and they will.