THREE top officials at the centre of a pay scandal that has rocked Caerphilly council remain suspended after a disciplinary hearing behind closed doors this week.

Chief executive Anthony O’Sullivan, his deputy Nigel Barnett and the authority’s head of legal services Daniel Perkins were suspended on full pay after it was discovered huge pay rises had secretly been awarded to 20 or so council bosses.

Assistant Auditor General for Wales, Anthony Barrett, ruled the pay rises totalling nearly half a million pounds were unlawful but a case against the trio was dropped at Bristol Crown Court in October after a two-year delay.

Caerphilly council has splashed more than £2.6 million handing out cash to the suspended trio, other officers who “acted up” in their absence and other fees, it was revealed this summer.

In October, Caerphilly assembly member Jeff Cuthbert called for the cash to be handed back to taxpayers.

The council’s investigating and disciplinary committee met on Monday to discuss potential proceedings against the trio.

A Caerphilly council spokesman told the Argus: “A meeting of the council’s investigating and disciplinary committee took place earlier this week to discuss the next steps in terms of our three senior officers.

“Criminal proceedings have been dropped and this has allowed our own internal procedures to commence.

“It was determined by the committee that the three officers will remain suspended.

“It would be inappropriate to add anything further at this stage.”

The trio were all accused of misconduct between June 25 and October 10, 2012.

But all charges against them were dropped in October leaving the council more than £2.6 million out of pocket, a Freedom of Information request revealed in July.

Separate figures showed the 20 or so senior officers had been awarded £488,000 in unlawful payments.

Auditors found Mr O’Sullivan had received a total of £25,182, and his deputy, Mr Barnett, £13,870.

The Crown Prosecution Service came under fire for allowing the case to be delayed by more than two years.

But a spokesman said it was “a complicated, wide-reaching and lengthy investigation into serious allegations against council employees” and that “the proper judicial process” had been followed.

Caerphilly council leader Cllr Keith Reynolds said at the time “serious questions” needed to be asked over the amount of time the case had taken.

He also confirmed the council was working to recover the costs of paying the three during their suspension.