2.10.07 Jeremy Smith former CEO of Camden Council

In 1998 the then European Union Commissioner Anita Gradin was behind the UCLAF (Unidad de Coordinación de la Lucha Anti-Fraude) investigation into Camden Council. UCLAF is a special unit within the EU to investigate fraud by member states.

This investigation came following an employee of Camden Council 'blowing the whistle' on what was going on: corrupt council officials were stealing money to put into their own pockets. Mr Smith is reported to have 'strung' this whistle blower up.

The investigation uncovered an array of unauthorized transactions between Camden Council and a company called 'Migrant Training Company' (MTC), which also led to the UK fraud squad investigating the scam.

This firm was supposedly set up to help jobless Irish people in London - and was financed by Camden Council with loans totaling 1.2m euros.

Most of the 'loans' were made as far back as 1991 and were given via a system of illegal dealings. Senior officials working for Camden Council had set up a private company (MTC), to secure EU funds (through the European Social Fund).

The UCLAF investigation, which followed the whistle-blower's testimony to the Guardian, uncovered one Council official "forgetting" to mention to his superior (Smith) that his wife was working for the firm - whilst he was also serving as a director of the firm himself and holding down a senior job in the Council awarding the loans.

The firm mysteriously 'borrowed' ESF funds to pay back the council - resulting in the Camden Council having to pay back 643,000 euros to Brussels.

Jeremy Smith resigned from Camden Council in 1996 under a cloud of corruption allegations. 

INDEPENDENT INQUIRY CLEARS CAMDEN LBC OF EURO FRAUD - PLUS COUNCIL STATEMENT


LABOUR COUNCILS IN EU FUNDS ROW 


Theres more ....

Years later a draft report by seven whistle-blowers, outlining how EU institutions could become more transparent and less vulnerable to corrupt practices, was to be presented to the European Convention.: the official it was to be handed to was Jeremy Smith former CEO of camden council. Mr Smith had taken a job with the then French President Valerie Giscard d'estaing. The same official who has a liking for stringing up whistle-blowers.