By Gavin Mackintosh-
Alan Davies and two governors who steered Copland Community School in Cecil Avenue, benefitted from the “vast sums” he received in unlawful bonuses over several years before he was suspended in May 2009. He eventually resigned from his post that year, after over 20 years in the job.
Dodgy Davies was caught after he took £400,000- over two and a half times his usual salary of £160,000. He resigned from his respectable posts in 2009 after over 20 years in the job. The 71 year old was also stripped of his knighthood after receiving a two year suspended sentence for false accounting in 2013.
The shamed former head was ordered to pay £1,395,839 plus 75 percent of Brent Council’s assessed legal costs, a High Court told him on Friday . The order was in relation to a guilty plea by him in Southwark Crown Court in 2013. There, he pleaded guilty to six counts of false accounting.
Crooked Davies admitted creating eight back-payment documents at the same time, for sums of about £315,000.The former respected boss received £950,000 in total from the £2.707,391 that was overpaid.
The payments to Davies and three associates were approved by former chair of governors Dr Indravadan Patel and former vice chair of governors, Martin Day. Patel and Day must now pay back £552,729 between them. They must also additionaly pay 65 % of the council’s assessed legal costs.The news is a reminder that even respected leaders of institutions must be closely watched to ensure they do not abuse the system. Too many leaders have been found indulding in corrupt affairs, deluded in the belief they would escape detection.
Cllr Margaret McLennan, deputy leader of Brent Council, said: “We are delighted with the verdict as it means the money, which had been swindled, is now going to be returned and can now be used for the benefit of local people.
“Davies and his colleagues were arrogantly paying themselves ridiculously high and unjustified bonuses, including Davies pocketing a whopping £400,000 in one year – which is around three times the going rate for the job.
“It has taken years of stamina and determination to win this victory but justice has finally been done.”
Photograph: bbc.co.uk