AN EVESHAM town councillor has refused to apologise to complainants whom her actions towards were found to be a breach of the council code of conduct.
Councillor Emma Nishigaki was found in breach by Wychavon District Council in May for her comments towards three members of the public on social media.
She has since been ordered by Evesham Town Council to follow a string of recommendations put forward by Wychavon to ratify her actions.
Evesham Town Council voted unanimously to impose recommendations with a couple of tweaks at a meeting on Monday (June 9), which Coun Nishigaki did not attend.
Coun Nishigaki is ordered to apologise to complainants with an amendment from Coun Mark Goodge calling for the council’s involvement in drafting and finalising the apology.
There is no guarantee Coun Nishigaki will agree to work with the council on her apology. Evesham mayor, John Clatworthy, told the Observer it is her democratic right to refuse oversight of her apology.
Coun Goodge said: “The contents of the report are utterly shocking. The severity of this breach can only be described as poor.
“My concern is that it will be all to easy for Nishigaki to come up with an apology… without admitting responsibility for it.”
Coun Nishigaki told the Observer: “I will not apologise for telling the truth. I do not recognise the legitimacy of the process.”
The councillor is also to undertake domestic abuse, social media, code of conduct and communication training and will be removed from all committees and outside appointments for the remainder of her term.
This amendment was proposed by Coun Julie Tucker after misconduct complainant, Helena Stephenson, suggested so in a statement read out at the meeting. Mayor Coun Clatworthy, when speaking to the Observer, praised the complainant for her bravery in sharing her experiences publicly.
Helena Stephenson’s complaint against Coun Nishigaki related to the councillor discussing intimate and personal details about the complainants family – some of which referred to her late brother, Paul Stephenson’s death – including an allegation of her brother being a victim of a serious assault as a child.
Paul Stephenson, from Evesham, died from a drug related overdose in March 2022.
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Coun Nishigaki added: “To suggest I need training on domestic abuse just shows how ridiculous this circus is.”
The councillor also said she believes the findings to be part of a wider campaign for her to resign and added she will be referring the outcome to the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman due to ‘procedural errors’ – as she has committed to doing at each stage of the complaint process.
Despite Nishigaki’s recent refusal to apologise, the Observer has seen evidence of an apology sent by Nishigaki to Helena via the investigating officer of the complaints. Helena rejected the apology, branding it ‘ungenuine’.
The council has also agreed to release the 18-page Wychavon misconduct report providing permission is gained from complainants whose identities are not yet known the public.
Elements of the report, if published without permission from complainants, will be redacted to protect their identities.
