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John Baptiste |
Fraud man in discrimination tribunal claim
DISGRACED finance chief John Baptiste has had a claim that his suspension from his council post without pay was racially motivated rejected by an employment tribunal.
He had also claimed that the disciplinary action taken by Camden Council against him after he was arrested for stealing money caused him unfair hardship.
His protests, which have shocked his victims’ friends and relatives and are regarded by one former colleague as “unbelievable cheek”, are revealed in tribunal papers obtained exclusively by the New Journal.
As one of the most trusted officers at the Town Hall, Baptiste, 57, was supposed to be looking after cash on behalf of Camden’s most vulnerable residents including sufferers of dementia.
But instead he pocketed £600,000 of their cash for himself and bought a second home in sun-kissed Grenada. He was arrested last February and found guilty at Wood Crown Court in January to four charges of theft. He was warned that he faces an “inevitable” jail sentence.
The New Journal can now reveal how Baptiste, who was born on the Caribbean island of Aruba, tried to bring a race discrimination case against the Town Hall, claiming that Camden was wrong to freeze his pay while police investigated his activity.
He is said to be angry that a colleague, a white man, was also suspended at the time in connection with the investigation but paid during his absence. The second man was never arrested or charged by police and was cleared of any wrong-doing, later returning to his job.
Baptiste’s lawyers said their client had always intended to plead guilty to his crimes, an admission that he is due to get credit for when he was sentenced at Wood Green Crown Court tomorrow (Friday).
But, the tribunal papers reveal, his acceptance of guilt did not stop him launching an appeal against his suspension and forcing an employment tribunal at the tax-payers’ expense.
A tribunal spent two days in December scrutinising a decision initially taken by Michael Cooke, a council director in charge of staffing issues. He suspended Baptiste without pay but told the hearing that his action was based on the seriousness of the allegations against the fraudster, not racial discrimination
The tribunal findings said: “We conclude that the respondent’s (Camden Council’s) explanation is adequate and satisfactory. The claimant (Baptiste) had been arrested and it appeared likely to be charged with a serious criminal offence… There was plainly police involvement.”
The final report added: “Mr Cooke explained that he had considered the hardship to (Baptiste) of suspending his pay but he had balanced that against the reputation of the council. He said that the evidence appeared to show that (Baptiste) had defrauded the council’s clients of large amounts of money.”
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