Fraud?

2 messages

Originally from: Farmtalking

It seems extraordinary that following an article I wrote as far back as May 2002 – 'Grain Lorries for carcasses' – http://www.farmtalking.com/jb art grainlorries.html – the Government continues shamelessly, to opt out of their obligation to pay for services they commissioned that were rendered in full by many farmers and businesses. They moved the goal posts way back then and continue to do so now. But is it so odd?

Witholding payments by suggesting that so many are guilty of fraudulent claims seems quite bizarre and beggars belief but in so many cases they've got away with it and now it's become a habit. As with most criminals, once they find they can get away with their crimes, committing them becomes a way of life. What might have been an initial prank, even a game and an opportune act committed in fear, with repitition it becomes refined, more successful and habitual.

However, there's always a risk involved. No doubt a few get away with their crimes but the more frequently they're committted the greater the risk of exposure and eventually time runs out and the game's over!

GOVERNMENT STILL OWES £55M TO FMD BUSINESSES

Published in The News and Star on 15/01/2004

Exclusive by Stephen Meredith

CUMBRIAN business chiefs today slammed the Government over its refusal to pay millions of pounds still owed for work they carried out to help eradicate foot and mouth from the county during the crisis of 2001.

Cumbria County Council-owned Cumbria Waste Management (CWM), which buried thousands of carcasses in its landfill sites, exclusively revealed to the News & Star that it is still owed £6 million for the work it carried out three years ago.

National figures show that the government department in charge of rural affairs at the time – Defra – still owes contractors across the UK £55 million for the assistance it received from them during Britain’s biggest ever foot and mouth outbreak.

Mike Bareham, CWM’s managing director, said: “It’s frightening that this is the way they are treating people who did their best to help them beat the outbreak. It’s cynical and dishonourable.

“We are going to fight this claim as hard as we did to rid this county of foot and mouth disease.

“We put in a claim of around £24 million and around a quarter is still outstanding. We have been in negotiations for about a year and solicitors are now involved.

“We are close to the point where we are going to make a decision whether to take this matter to court.

“We opened up our offices to Defra and did everything we could to help. We are now disillusioned with the Government.”

It is not known exactly how much money is owed to Cumbrian businesses but the Forum of Private Business (FPB), which is leading the campaign to settle payments for rural firms, has revealed that it runs into many millions.

The Government has so far spent almost £20million of taxpayers’ money investigating what it sees as suspicious invoices, but many challenges have collapsed.

Nick Utting, National Farmers’ Union North Cumbria group secretary, said: “It is extremely disappointing that three years since the foot and mouth outbreak Defra are still being extremely difficult with various issues affecting both farmers and contractors alike. Everybody involved in the crisis at the time offered their help, gave their help and did everything possible to assist.”

An FPB spokesman said it was “ridiculous” and “shocking” that so many companies worked round the clock to assist Defra and were now being “stabbed in the back”.

Charity fundraiser Geoff Brown, who runs a contract cleaning company in Carlisle, is currently taking legal action after Defra claimed the disinfection work his firm had carried out during the crisis was too expensive.

Geoff Brown Contract Cleaning Services Ltd, of Harker, was paid for the work but now Defra is demanding some of the cash is returned claiming it was overcharged.

Mr Brown said: “We did everything they told us to do and now they are moving the goalposts. All the work was given the go-ahead by field officers and we were told the amount to claim but now they say we have charged them too much.”

A Defra spokeswoman said: “The department is pursuing those cases where it believed it was overcharged for goods, services and works during the outbreak.

“Irregularities in contractors’ claims have been and continue to be investigated.”

Bosses at Blast Clean in Carlisle say Defra made them reduce their bill by £90,000 before they would pay them anything.

Director Les Birkett said: “They wanted the job done and then they moved the goal posts. I wish I’d never started with them.

“When foot and mouth came out, we pulled out all the stops. It wasn’t the best of jobs. People were walking on carcasses to disinfect them.

“They said ‘do whatever it takes – just get the job done.’

“They would ask us to do a job but the paperwork wasn’t done. Then they brought in accountants from Newcastle and refused to pay us for some things.

“There was £90,000 in dispute but they wouldn’t give us a penny of the undisputed money until we had a credit note. I call that blackmail.”