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Police reform body expenses attacked

By David Gordon

A public body formerly headed by Police Ombudsman Al Hutchinson was the subject of a damning audit review over travel and hospitality expenses in its final months.

The auditors questioned the “apparent extravagance” at the Office of the Oversight Commissioner (OOC), a taxpayer-funded organisation that monitored policing reforms in Northern Ireland.

Mr Hutchinson was the Oversight Commissioner from 2004 to May 2008 when it ceased operations. He took up the post of Police Ombudsman last November.

While not responsible as Commissioner for the OOC’s administration, he has spoken strongly in defence of the expenses.

In a statement, Mr Hutchinson said that he was “satisfied that there was no impropriety in the expenditure of public funds” and “all expenditures and actions were appropriate” and in the interest of completing Patten reform work.

The audit review — obtained by the Belfast Telegraph through a freedom of information request — raised some items claimed by Mr Hutchinson himself, including air travel from a US holiday for a policing conference in Belfast.

The auditors also said bills of over £100 were twice incurred by OCC advisers, for short chauffeur-driven journeys between Belfast restaurants and a hotel in the city.

Almost £4,000 was also spent flying an ex-employee’s family to Belfast at Christmas 2006.

Belfast Telegraph

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