THE appointment of Slough Borough Council’s next chief executive has been thrown into doubt, after allegations in a secret investigation were leaked.

Independent investigator Richard Penn looked into whether there had been a plot to oust former chief executive, Ruth Bagley, who left the organisation last year.

His 2016 report, which has never been made public, cleared the leader of the council, Cllr Sohail Munawar, but said there were grounds for a further inquiry into Roger Parkin’s conduct. Mr Parkin is currently the interim chief executive and is in line to get the permanent job.

The report’s final recommendations, seen by The Observer, made clear however that there was not ‘conclusive evidence’ to support claims of a plot against Ms Bagley.

Deputy leader, Cllr Sabia Hussain, has also officially objected to Mr Parkin becoming the new chief. It means Mr Parkin’s selection will now have to be reconsidered by the council’s Appointments Sub-Committee, of which Cllr Munawar is chairman. Cllr Munawar has also moved to hold the meeting in public on Monday – even though staff issues are usually behind closed doors.

Cllr Hussain said: “I asked for a copy of the report, but was never provided with one.

“It is only right that the council should be provided with a full copy – we used public funds to do the investigation. Then, I think, there should be a second investigation to find out whether the report was buried, and what happened to it over the last ten months.”

The plot allegations were contained in an anonymous email.

Mr Penn’s report said: “The chief executive (Ms Bagley) has alleged that on 4 July 2016, shortly before her suspension, the leader (Cllr Munawar) gave the chief executive a very detailed account of a conversation he had had with the director of customer and community services (then Mr Parkin) on the previous Wednesday, 29 June 2016, in which the director had offered to advise the leader on how to get her out and that he could then take her place.

“The Director has said he cannot recall that conversation, but on the balance of probability, that conversation did take place as the director did meet with the leader on that day, and 12 working days later, the chief executive had been suspended by the director acting on behalf of the leader.

“The chief executive was given no warning of what was planned at the meeting... was given no opportunity to be represented, and was given no opportunity for any of the allegations against her to be heard and considered.” In another extract Mr Penn notes that circumstantial evidence he found came from those who may have ‘an axe to grind’ against Mr Parkin. Mr Parkin had recently been recommended to become chief executive by the sub-committee, pending him being formally ratified at the next full council meeting. But following Cllr Hussain’s opposition the sub-committee will now consider whether her objections are ‘material and well-founded’. They can choose to deselect Mr Parkin.

A council spokeswoman, on Mr Parkin’s behalf, declined to comment. Cllr Munawar could not be reached for comment.