Hearing For Ex-Councillor
Thursday, 15th September 2005.
A controversial former councillor who is awaiting trial on internet child porn charges has had a complaint made agianst him to the Standards Board of England upheld.
Mabon Dane, who resigned from Haverhill Town Council in July, is due to stand trial at Ipswich Crown Court next month on 16 charges of making indecent images of children, which he has denied.
Mr Dane, 35, was the founder of the now-defunct Haverhill Representative Alliance group which clashed with other town councillors and town clerk Gordon Mussett, sparking a spate of some 30 complaints to the Standards board. In all but one case there was found to be no evidence of a breach of the Code of Conduct, and in the one breach no further action was taken.
This week the Standards Board confirmed that its investigation had shown that Mr Dane did bring his authority into disrepute and the case had been referred to the adjudication panel, which would hold an independent public hearing to decide if sanctions should be imposed. Although Mr Dane is no longer a councillor, sanctions could include banning him from being one in the future.
Councillor Dane welcomed news that there was to be a hearing and said he hoped it would give him the opportunity to clear his name.
"People can then see exactly what has been going on in the town council instead of getting half-truths. The tendency has been to make me a scapegoat for everything that has been going on," Mr Dane said.
"I just want to clear my name, to put this behind me and do other things in my life. I will be putting my side of the story on the internet. I think that in future my value may be in business rather than as a councillor. Haverhill is a town of the future and I have a lot of ideas about how I can contribute."
Mabon Dane, who resigned from Haverhill Town Council in July, is due to stand trial at Ipswich Crown Court next month on 16 charges of making indecent images of children, which he has denied.
Mr Dane, 35, was the founder of the now-defunct Haverhill Representative Alliance group which clashed with other town councillors and town clerk Gordon Mussett, sparking a spate of some 30 complaints to the Standards board. In all but one case there was found to be no evidence of a breach of the Code of Conduct, and in the one breach no further action was taken.
This week the Standards Board confirmed that its investigation had shown that Mr Dane did bring his authority into disrepute and the case had been referred to the adjudication panel, which would hold an independent public hearing to decide if sanctions should be imposed. Although Mr Dane is no longer a councillor, sanctions could include banning him from being one in the future.
Councillor Dane welcomed news that there was to be a hearing and said he hoped it would give him the opportunity to clear his name.
"People can then see exactly what has been going on in the town council instead of getting half-truths. The tendency has been to make me a scapegoat for everything that has been going on," Mr Dane said.
"I just want to clear my name, to put this behind me and do other things in my life. I will be putting my side of the story on the internet. I think that in future my value may be in business rather than as a councillor. Haverhill is a town of the future and I have a lot of ideas about how I can contribute."
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