THE head of a council-owned crime prevention quango is to quit his post, weeks into an investigation into abuse of office allegations.
Phil Walker, executive director of Community Safety Glasgow (CSG), has notified the authority’s senior management of his intention to leave the arm’s-length agency he has headed for a decade, citing health reasons.
But his request to bring forward his looming retirement comes after the emergence of complaints over his conduct as head of CSG, which is in charge of the city’s CCTV network, deals with localised anti-social behaviour and has recently been put in charge by the Labour administration of the council’s ongoing Clean Glasgow campaign.
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The Herald understands Mr Walker has been interviewed at length by the authority’s internal audit chief over complaints that several company vehicles have been used primarily for personal and family use, on top of issues related to his management style.
Senior members of the CSG team have been interviewed as part of the probe.
It is also understood the substantive allegations Mr Walker faces emerged due to the audit team’s investigation and that while he is expected to leave the “council family” within days he will do so without any pay-off.
The move comes days after it emerged a senior council officer previously embroiled in a major junkets scandal was under investigation over claims he breached professional rules and electoral law.
Bob Wylie, a former high-profile BBC journalist and transport quango spin doctor, is accused of providing support to a senior Labour figure at a hustings event despite his restricted post, meaning he cannot be involved in party politics.
A senior source said: “Phil knows the writing is on the wall. The bottom line is he is going.”
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But one SNP source expressed concerns the council’s leadership did not take immediate action when the allegations against Mr Walker became clear and is seeking to avoid the issue until after next week’s elections.
The source added: “Glasgow City Council and its Aleo [arm’s-length external organisations] must not be seen to be a plaything for old Labour Party networks and until this is stamped out a cloud will hang over it.”
The council said: “It would be inappropriate to comment on an individual staff matter.”
The Herald contacted Mr Walker but he was unavailable.
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