TAXPAYERS in Caerphilly could see a further £150,000 paid out by the council in the long-running council officers pay scandal.

Caerphilly County Borough Council (CCBC) chief executive Anthony O’Sullivan, along with his deputy Nigel Barnett, and the head of legal services, Daniel Perkins, have been suspended on full pay since 2013, after they gave themselves pay rises of up to 20 per cent.

A damning Wales Audit Office report criticised the local authority for “failures” and “inadequacies” at the time, and deemed the increases “unlawful” in the way they were set.

Mr O’Sullivan’s salary was increased by £32,000, but this was later reduced to £5,000 after staff and union opposition.

All three were arrested and charged with misconduct in public office, but the charges were dropped last year due to a lack of evidence.

An internal investigation then began, and in July this year, Caerphilly council approved proposals to set aside a further £502,000 — including £220,000 in legal costs and £282,000 towards the three officers’ potential salary costs between September 1, 2015, and March 31, 2017.

This was on top of figures which estimated costs were already well above £1million.

Now, a report, due to go before council next Tuesday, will recommend the local authority shell out another £150,000, bringing the total to closer to the £2million mark.

The report recommends that these funds are set aside in 2016/17 to meet the estimated legal costs of the investigation until March 31, 2017.

In February this year, Caerphilly MP, Wayne David, spoke in Parliament, asking the government to reimburse Caerphilly residents for the salaries they had to pay during the protracted criminal proceedings..

As previously reported by the Argus, Mr David said: “The council taxpayers of Caerphilly Borough have been obliged to pay over £1 million in salaries to the suspended members of staff.

“The Government really ought to have recognised that in this special case the council should be reimbursed for the costs of those salaries.”

Justice Minister Shailesh Vara, on behalf of the government, was unable to offer any hope of reimbursement though

At a council meeting in July this year, council leader Keith Reynolds added the issue had gone on “far too long”, and called for it to be concluded “as soon as humanly possible”.

The proposed £150,000 figure — to be discussed next week —has been calculated on a “monthly average” of costs incurred between April 1 and October 31 this year.

However, the report adds that this figure could be “higher or lower” based on the remainder of this financial year.

A spokesman for CCBC said: “Internal investigations into three senior officers are ongoing and these must be conducted fairly and thoroughly in accordance with an agreed statutory process.

“It would not be appropriate to add anything further at this stage.”

To watch the council meeting webcast next week, visit the following link: www.caerphilly.gov.uk/Services/Meetings,-agendas,-minutes-and-reports/Webcasting.aspx.