21.06.17
Liverpool council CEO re-released on bail as police probe continues
Liverpool City Council CEO Ged Fitzgerald has been re-released on bail until 23 August as police continue their investigation into allegations of conspiracy to pervert the course of justice and intimidate witnesses.
Last month, Fitzgerald temporarily stood down from the position at the local authority and head of paid service for the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
At the time, Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson said the decision made was the right one for the city in order to enable the council to “deliver services without distraction”.
“I have spoken to the chief executive and also to the police about the nature of the investigation and how this impacts upon the council and the city,” he said, adding that Fitzgerald would step down from his duties until investigations are complete.
Fitzgerald was arrested in May, alongside three other men, including the former boss of the council joint venture with BT Liverpool Direct (LDL) David McElhinney, due to financial problems with tendering contracts to BT.
BT had worked with Liverpool council in the past on the LDL partnership, which provided services for the local authority such as HR, payroll and IT and web services. But financial irregularities into the contract for the now-defunct LDL led the police to the arrests in May following a four-year investigation.
A spokesperson for Lancashire Police, which is lead the investigation, told PSE that their investigations are ongoing and that Fitzgerald had been released on bail until 23 August.
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