RBH executives interviewed by Audit Commission

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Rochdale Boroughwide Housing executives will be interviewed by the Audit Commission as part of the Commission's investigation into two failed recruitment processes and the allegations surrounding RBH Chairwoman Gill Walch.

Councillors, one of whom it is believed is local magistrate Brian Davies (Labour Councillor for North Heywood) who reported a breach of protocol by Ms Walch, are also due to be interviewed by the Audit Commission this week. The breakdown in the second recruitment process and Councillor Davies' reporting of Ms Walch led to a huge and lengthy row between the RBH board and the Council with the Council calling for the head of Ms Walch and Ms Walch refusing to accept she had done anything wrong.

As the row escalated many months passed as the RBH Board and the Council jousted over the appropriate body to conduct an investigation, who should commission the investigation and the terms of reference of such an investigation, in fact, just about the only thing in months they did agree on was to keep the general public in the dark imposing a news blackout with the claim that an investigation was under way, when it was not, and then declaring as part of the terms of reference that the findings would be kept secret from taxpayers, despite the huge cost to tenants and taxpayers of the two failed recruitment processes and the council's so called commitment to openness and transparency.

The investigation was supposed to be completed and a draft report produced within 4 weeks however, it is to take at least twice that long and the current timetable is the draft report will be ready for 18 January, two weeks are then allowed for both parties to comment on the draft with the final report reaching both RBH and the Council by 12 February. The three - Council, RBH and Audit Commission - will then have a final meeting by 22 February.