News / Councillor Thomson to appear at Standards Commission hearing over ‘failure to update register of interests’
NORTH Isles councillor Ryan Thomson has been told to appear at a hearing of the Standards Commission on 17 December.
This follows on from a complaint made to the Ethical Standards Commissioner (ESC) earlier this summer.
A spokesperson for the Standards Commission said: “The complaint about councillor Thomson to be considered at the hearing concerns an alleged failure on this part to update his register of interests to include a change of company name, where he was a director also receiving remuneration and to register the shareholding itself, as required under Section 4 of the Councillors’ Code of Conduct.”
A spokesperson for the ESC added: “The Commissioner has completed the investigation regarding councillor Ryan Thomson and has referred the case to the Standards Commission for Scotland.
“There is a hearing due to be held on 17 December 2020.”
Thomson said he had been told not to make any public statement prior to the hearing.
Hearings of the Standards Commission for Scotland usually commence at 9.30am.
A venue for this particular hearing has not been announced, and there is a possibility that it will be held online and be livestreamed.
The Commissioner for Ethical Standards in Scotland (ESC) investigates, among others, allegations of breaches of the councillors’ code of conduct. Most allegations made are being closed without ever progressing to be investigated.
However, once an investigation has been carried out and the accused is found to be in breach of the code, the case will be referred to the Standards Commission for Scotland for further examination.
The Standards Commission can decide to take no action, refer the case back to the ESC for further investigation, or hold a hearing.
Punishments available to the Standards Commission range from censure to disqualification.
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