Dunedin city councillor Benedict Ong - who was earlier this month sanctioned for leaking - has sent to media a letter to him from the mayor marked "confidential" in which concerns are expressed about his comments about the council chief executive.
In an email sent to 1News and RNZ last night, Ong disclosed a letter signed from the mayor Sophie Barker, labelled “confidential and not for distribution” - written on May 20.
The letter said Ong’s Facebook posts about the city council’s chief executive Sandy Graham earlier this month, were “contrary to your obligations under the Council’s Code of Conduct”.
The mayor also told Ong that Graham had “acted properly and professionally, with the aim of protecting Dunedin City Council and ensuring that appropriate processes are followed” in her work.
“I am concerned about your commentary in the public domain directed at Ms Graham, including on social media,” the letter said.
1News has requested comment from council this morning, including asking whether a new code of conduct complaint has been laid about the posts.
In the letter, the mayor also told Ong: “I expect that any issues or concerns you have will be raised through the appropriate channels, rather than through public commentary about a senior staff member performing her duties in good faith. I request that you immediately cease this public (and unjustified) commentary going forward.”
After multiple code of conduct complaints this year, on May 18, Ong was suspended for nine months from all council committees and sub-committees when he was found to have breached the council’s code of conduct, having leaked commercially sensitive information to media about a proposal for a hotel at Forsyth Barr Stadium.
He is free to attend and participate in all council meetings - both public and non-public.
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