Cod Almighty | Diary

Fenty and the Fraudster

14 December 2020

Yeah, yeah, Town didn't lose and the Hollow One's wife knows more about football than him.

You all know me, your Deviant Diary, but you don't know what I do for a living. There be sharks out there that'll swallow you whole and you need a steady old hand to guide you. Step forward your senior company investigator. Let us get straight to the heart of the cloudy darkness enveloping our dear old club.

We'll leave others to fulminate about the board being content to cavort with a conman, with a fraudster attending before fans and the lack of social distancing. There's something lurking in the woodshed; we need some light to be shone inside.

What do we know? The majority shareholder and head of regeneration for the local council is still officially a shareholder in Town Centre Living Limited, along with his new chum, the con artist formerly known as Alick Kapikanya, who resigned as the sole director a fortnight ago.

Interesting, very interesting. Let's just look at this at face value. The name suggests some kind of property development in a town centre. So, here we have the head of regeneration for the local council setting up (and being joint owner of) a company to develop property with a convicted fraudster. Not a good look is it.

Mmm. Let's strip out the emotion and look at this in terms of obligations, as a director of a limited company and as an elected representative.

Firstly, had Mr Fenty disclosed this company, and any business "opportunity" it relates to, to the council? Oh, he will now as Top Con John issued a Sunday statement asserting that the company has never traded and he now owns all the shares. It's an unfortunate habit to be told or forced to do the right thing.

Secondly, are his interests in property development within the town something that should result in him standing down from any committee, or position, relating to regeneration?

It's a question of judgment.

These are questions, not an opinion. In the absence of clarity we little people cannot know the true position. This is simply a matter of open, transparent democracy.

Now, don't we all have faith in our local journalists that they are onto this, to ensure that everything is above board, that all interests have been disclosed properly and there is no conflict of interest anywhere. Just like that tax case which still hasn't been resolved.

That the majority shareholder is happy to jump into business bed with a character with such an appalling history is alarming; that the board is willing to entertain the prospect of economic activity with him is disgraceful.

It's shaming for the club and the town. We need, we deserve, better. In the name of Grimsby go. Now.