Speaking after Jeremy Colman was sentenced to eight months imprisonment, Plaid Cymru’s Leanne Wood said: “Since his arrest, Colman has been exposed as an ineffectual and wasteful Auditor General who presided over a period of questionable accounting within his own organisation.
“My office received numerous complaints about workplace bullying at the Wales Audit Office and it seems some cases were ignored under the stewardship of Colman.
“Through the Freedom of Information Act, my office has discovered that he, along with the Chief Operating Officer Anthony Snow, was also responsible for submitting the type of eye-watering expense claims that I’m sure would have been condemned in a Wales Audit Office inspection of any another public body.
“However, as bad a job as he was doing as the lead person at the Wales Audit Office, on a huge salary of £170,000 a year, he would more than likely still be in post today had it not been for his arrest.
“I have met with the new auditor, Huw Vaughan Thomas, and been assured that checks and balances will be introduced to ensure that such a situation cannot be repeated. I hope the staff at the Wales Audit Office, many of whom have suffered low morale under Colman’s management and subsequent developments, will have confidence in the approach of the new Auditor General as they have a vital role to play in this new climate of cuts.
“We need to have a full understanding of all that went on under Coleman’s stewardship so that the damage to the reputation of the WAO can be repaired and the staff can get on with their very important jobs.
