Sacked Burnside Council chief executive Paul Deb resigns from Port Augusta Council after court documents reveal allegations against him

Sacked Burnside Council chief executive Paul Deb has resigned from his new position at Port Augusta Council. It comes a day after The Advertiser reported Supreme Court documents had revealed serious allegations of misconduct at Burnside Council.

Paul Deb was sacked as Burnside Council CEO in the middle of 2019.

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Sacked Burnside Council chief executive Paul Deb has resigned from his new position at Port Augusta City Council.

Mr Deb, who was appointed as acting director of infrastructure for a two-month period, has resigned to relocate to Adelaide to be with his family, Port Augusta Council’s CEO John Banks revealed on the council’s FaceBook page.

“Recruitment agency Perks – People Solutions, will be assisting Port Augusta City Council with the recruitment process for the Director of Infrastructure role over the next few weeks,” the post said.

Burnside Council corporate and strategy director Martin Cooper and Mayor Anne Monceaux. Picture: Colin James

It comes a day after The Advertiser reported Supreme Court documents had revealed serious allegations of misconduct.

Burnside Council sacked former chief executive Mr Deb over a complaint lodged against him by his deputy over serious allegations of misconduct, court documents show.

Mr Deb is taking legal action in the Supreme Court for unfair dismissal over the termination of his $241,543-a-year contract last June.

His statement of claim reveals he was sacked following a formal investigation into a complaint of misconduct made by corporate and strategy director, Martin Cooper.

In the complaint – which has not been disputed in court by Mr Deb’s lawyer, Greg Griffin – Mr Cooper claimed Mr Deb had:

BEEN removed by staff from a council meeting because he was intoxicated.

SMELT of alcohol at two informal council workshops.

DESCRIBED a councillor as a “dumb f..k” during a staff workshop.

INSTRUCTED Mr Cooper to conceal receipts during an official investigation into credit cards.

REPEATEDLY taken leave without seeking approval.

NOT shown up at work on various occasions over a three-year period.

FAILED to respond in a timely fashion to staff emails requiring his authorisation.

Mr Deb was sacked in the aftermath of a lengthy dispute with a former councillor, Lance Bagster, which cost the council hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees.

The dispute was investigated by State Ombudsman Wayne Lines, who produced a lengthy report last October finding Mr Bagster had harassed senior staff over a four-year period.

Mr Cooper and another manager, Barry Cant, sent emails to councillors when the report was published accusing them of failing to support senior staff, describing their behaviour as “shameful” and “reprehensible”.

The emails led to sanctions by Mr Deb which were later overturned by one of Mr Bagster’s main supporters, Anne Monceaux, and other councillors when she became mayor in November, 2018.

The council’s chief executive performance panel then voted to terminate Mr Deb’s employment after a law firm found he had made disparaging remarks about elected members.

Former Burnside councillor Lance Bagster.

Former Burnside chief executive Paul Deb.

Mr Griffin lodged Supreme Court action in January alleging the council had failed to follow correct procedures during the investigation and denied Mr Deb natural justice.

In its statement of defence, the council has rejected the assertion, saying Mr Deb had not denied the veracity of the allegations of misconduct.

It says it followed the correct procedures before sacking him.

Mr Griffin told The Advertiser Mr Deb “was thrown to the wolves” by the council over the dispute involving Mr Bagster, which had caused him considerable stress and anxiety.

“The complaint about misconduct was all part of a device to get rid of him,” he said.

“Even if the allegations against him were substantiated, which they weren’t, they wouldn’t have justified the termination of his employment.”

Mr Deb, who was engaged last week by Port Augusta Council, is seeking $277,000 in damages plus interest and costs.

The matter has been listed for mediation at a hearing before Judge Michael Durrant next month.

Originally published as Sacked Burnside Council chief executive Paul Deb resigns from Port Augusta Council after court documents reveal allegations against him