Latest news with #MidAndEastAntrimCouncil
The Independent
21 hours ago
- Politics
- The Independent
Former Mid and East Antrim chief faces prosecution over alleged deleted emails
The former head of Mid and East Antrim Council is facing prosecution in a probe into the alleged deletion of emails. Anne Donaghy has 'denied any wrongdoing during her time in office'. A solicitor of Ms Donaghy added she will 'vehemently contest these three technical offences'. Northern Ireland's Public Prosecution Service (PPS) on Friday confirmed that it has taken a decision to prosecute two people following a police probe into the alleged deletion of emails related to a freedom of information (FOI) request at the council in 2021. It comes after a BBC Spotlight programme reported police searches of the council offices in October 2021 and April 2022 were connected to an alleged attempt to delete correspondence around a decision to withdraw council staff involved in post-Brexit trade agreement checks at Larne Port. During a time of political tension over the introduction of an ' Irish Sea border', a number of staff were temporarily removed from the posts for their safety following alleged threats from loyalist paramilitaries. Department of Agriculture staff were also withdrawn from the port on February 1 2021 amid security concerns. However police later said they were not aware of any credible threats. A PPS spokesperson said one individual is being prosecuted for three offences under the Freedom of Information Act 2000, and a second individual is being prosecuted for one offence under the same Act. 'The charges relate to offences allegedly committed in April 2021 and June 2021,' they said. In total four individuals were reported on a police investigation file submitted to the PPS for consideration. The PPS said a senior prosecutor carefully considered all the available evidence and applied the test for prosecution before taking decisions in relation to the four reported individuals. 'It has been determined that the available evidence in relation to the other two reported individuals is insufficient in order to provide a reasonable prospect of conviction and therefore the test for prosecution is not met in relation to them,' they said. Solicitor Kevin Winters said Ms Donaghy has an outstanding High Court legal action against the council alleging discrimination. 'Today we received notification that she will be prosecuted on three counts of allegedly concealing records, aiding and abetting another person to erase or conceal a record and attempting to erase or conceal a record contrary to FOIA and other legislation,' he said. 'Our client denies any wrongdoing during her time in office and will vehemently contest these three technical offences. 'Central to her defence will be very strong allegations of investigative bias over the manner in which this inquiry has been conducted. 'Those same allegations have been the subject of a long-running complaint to PONI, the out workings of which will feature in any trial, if one is ever directed.' He added: 'Anne Donaghy has an impeccable record and service working for the council. 'She wants to put on record her sincere thanks for the all the support she has received from former colleagues in council and beyond in the wider community. 'Our client takes a lot of strength from this and knows it will serve her well going forward when confronting what are essentially contrived politically motivated allegations.'
BBC News
13-06-2025
- BBC News
Larne: Café attacked by rioters at leisure centre re-opens
The owner of a café which was closed due to violent disorder on Wednesday has said how thankful she is that it can now Leisure Centre, where the Prom Café is located, was set alight by masked youths after it was used to provide emergency accommodation for families who fled racist attacks in BallymenaThe disorder started on Monday after a peaceful protest over an alleged sexual assault in the County Antrim town. Some of the café's regulars have been telling BBC News NI how glad they are that it has reopened. The leisure centre sustained most of the damage and remains closed, but the café did not go unscathed, owner Louise Magill told BBC News NI that its stock took as much of a toil as the buildings infrastructure. "The fire exit was smashed, glass everywhere; no damage in the café, but we did lose a lot of food as the power was Magill praised the work of staff from Mid and East Antrim Council in helping her reopen on Friday. She said she had been terrified she would have no business, adding that "it's hard enough in the hospitality industry, but the community has been more than supportive, and I've been very happy"."I'm a bit emotional, tired, but so very thankful I'm up and running again today," she said. Austin McKay has been a regular of the café for more than a decade, when he saw video circulating around social media of the disorder in Larne he feared the worst."Whenever we saw the social media post the other night, it looked like the leisure centre was going to be gone and it is a hub for the town," he told BBC News NI."However, life has resumed to normality, it's wonderful.""It would've been sorely missed, a big chunk of our daily routine would be gone, we've been coming here 12 years since it opened." Jim Crooks lives close to the centre and, like Austin, he too feared the blaze had claimed the café."From where I live, we could see the smoke rising and I was convinced the building was gone."My initial thought was where am I going to go for coffee? Then you realize there is a bigger picture here."The routine of visiting the café is part of his life now."We are glad its back, because if it wasn't here, it would be a bit of a problem," he said."You get to an age when it's important, for men in particular, because of mental health, to bounce things off one another."Larne gets a bad press normally, let's just hope there is no more, we don't need this sort of thing in the town."
