Thanet Councillor Suzanne Brimm faces three charges related to Freedom of Information requests for details about a dog DNA scheme including getting rid of records so that they could not be disclosed.
It is believed to be the first time that anyone has been charged under section 77 of the Freedom of Information Act.
One to watch!
Cllr Brimm, who previously who held a Cabinet post in the council as a UKIP member before quitting the group to become Independent, has denied the charges and will go on trial at Folkestone Magistrates’ Court on September 3.
And what about that scheme? Well....
Thanet's dog DNA scheme used high-tech testing to try and work out which owners had failed to pick up after their dogs as part of a zero tolerance approach.
The scheme was launched last July but later abandoned.
Yeah, there's
a lot of that going around....
The charges allege that she blocked, concealed or destroyed records held by Thanet council “with the intention of preventing the disclosure by TDC of information” in response to FOI requests between July 31, 2017, and September 2 and 5, 2017.
A further charge says that between her election on May 7, 2015 -and February 9, 2018, Cllr Brimm “being a data controller, processed personal data without having entry in the register maintained by the Information Commissioner.”
The Campaign for Freedom of Information said that this there (sic) has "never been a s77 FOI prosecution before."
It's going to be interesting to see what the real issue is here, isn't it?
I wonder how an elected councillor can be deemed the Data Controller of Thanet District Council’s data. It’s very strange that a councillor rather than a council official was able to act in the way described.
ReplyDeleteLet’s hope that more is revealed as time progresses.
"It’s very strange that a councillor rather than a council official was able to act in the way described. "
ReplyDeleteIsn't it just? I'll get the popcorn in!