AN EVESHAM town councillor has been accused of ‘undermining trust in local democracy’ by the authority she is elected to represent after breaching codes of conduct.
Avon ward town councillor, Emma Nishigaki, has been found in breach of Wychavon’s code of conduct at a special hearing on Monday, May 19.
A series of complaints about her behaviour were upheld following a report presented to Wychavon’s member conduct committee by the authority’s monitoring officer.
The exact nature of the complaints in the report has not been made public, but the Observer understands they relate to a number of issues about the councillor’s conduct and comments, notably on social media.
At the meeting, Councillor Nishigaki rejected the report findings and later told the Observer she would be reporting the ruling to the Local Government & Social Care Ombudsman due to ‘procedural errors’.
She said: “I will never apologise for telling the truth, I will stand up against malpractice, maladministration and bullying.
“I can reassure the public I remain committed to my work for the town and will not let this sideshow detract me from the genuinely serious issues.”
In a move that has inflamed tensions, four days after the meeting, Coun Nishigaki took to Facebook to reveal she had been found ‘guilty’ of code of conduct issues and said: “I’m not engaging with the corrupt processes… I won’t resign and I won’t give up.”
Evesham Town Council has been made aware of the comments made by Coun Nishigaki and in a statement to the Observer suggested the councillor was unable to take responsibility for her actions which they deemed ‘profoundly disappointing’.
They said: “This decision followed a thorough and independent process, led by a panel of both district councillors and independent members.
“It was based on evidence, carried out fairly, and followed national standards.”
They also branded the claims of corruption as ‘completely unfounded and deeply offensive’.
“Accusing fellow councillors and the conduct panel of corruption without a shred of evidence, simply because the outcome was not in her favour, is not only false, it is an attack on the integrity of everyone involved in the process.”
“These types of reckless statements undermine trust in local democracy and show a serious disregard for the standards expected of elected representatives.”
“We strongly reject any suggestion the process was anything other than fair, lawful, and impartial,” the spokesperson added.
When asked to explain her social media post, Councillor Nishigaki said it was not meant to reflect her thoughts on the investigation, but rather a comment on local party politics and not about specific councillors.
The council reiterated its commitment to maintaining high standards in public life and expected all councillors to treat others with respect, and to engage with due process responsibly and truthfully.
The Wychavon committee concluded there had been breaches of the code of conduct and endorsed the report, its findings, and recommendations.
As per the recommendations, Coun Nishigaki is instructed to apologise for her actions and undertake a series of training exercises including use of social media, the councillor’s code of conduct and communication skills.
In line with adopted procedures and regulations, it is now up to Evesham Town Council to decide if and how to take this matter forward.
