Community council calls for independent investigation

A series of letters have been sent to the Shetland media over the past decade from 13 November 2012 Who can we believe, 4 November 2016 Lost EU grant funding, The case for fixed links, 5 November 2018, Does the government already provide fair ferry funding? 8 Feb 2019, Dubious claims and cost estimates, 22 Aug 2019, Continuous consultation without conclusion, 9 Jan 2020, and Gas powered ferries or fixed links, 23 Jul 2020; all raising doubts regarding the integrity of the information provided by SIC officialdom.

The integrity and honesty of information presented in reports to councillors is of paramount importance; as SIC councillors are tasked with making decisions based on the information in those reports.

Since their decisions may involve multi million pound investments; how can we and the councillors be sure that they have received credible information on projects like Viking Energy, before those decisions were approved?

The decisions made by councillors based on possibly flawed information may affect the economic development of Shetland and the wellbeing of Shetland residents for long into the future.

Based on the evidence provided in the letters, which appears to be verified from various public and SIC documents; it is the view of the Whalsay Community Council that it is now a matter of urgency that these details and the officials responsible should be subjected to a proper independent investigation to find out which of the conflicting details mentioned in the letters are fact and which are fiction.

It can’t all be correct.

The people of Whalsay, Shetland and indeed Scotland need to know as many millions of pounds of public finance may have been spent and taxable income lost because of these decisions. This affects us all.

Ellie Simpson
Clerk
On behalf of Whalsay Community Council