At the meeting of Cheshire East Council's Audit & Governance Committee on Tuesday 31st July it was reported that, for the third year in succession, the council's external auditor was withholding the statutory Certificate of Completion with regard to the audit for the year 2017/18.
A Cheshire East Council spokesperson said: "The external auditors praised the council for its sound finances and gave an 'unqualified opinion' on its financial statements.
"It was stated that it was an achievement for the council to meet the new publication deadline of 31 July when 10 to 15 per cent of all councils were unlikely to get their accounts signed off by the new deadline.
"The external auditors are not able to issue this year's certificate for Cheshire East owing to historical matters which have been raised with them over the past 12 months.
"Certificates for the two previous financial years are on hold owing to the ongoing police investigation."
Sam Corcoran, Labour Councillor for Sandbach Heath & East, said, "The Conservatives have tried to brush off the problems at Cheshire East Council as 'legacy issues'. The Conservative Leader even said she had got to the back of the cupboard and 'likes her cupboards clean'. Since then we have seen the Local Government Association conclude that bullying is a problem at the Council and now the Auditor has refused to give the Council a clean bill of health over Value for Money for the third year running. One can only wonder what other dirt is lurking at the back of the Tory Leader's cupboards as the Council continues to lurch from crisis to crisis."
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