A REPORT by Keilor Cemetery Trust to Brimbank City Council fails to mention the resignation of trust member Cr Ken Capar after a drunken escapade at an overseas conference.
Cr Capar resigned after admitting that he was drunk while attending the Australiasian Cemetery and Crematoria Association’s (ACCA) 19th annual conference in Auckland last October.
The report details activities for the quarter ending 31 December 2006, includes a brief mention of the Auckland conference but excludes details of the letter sent by ACCA president Peter Denboer concerning Cr Capar’s behaviour at the five-day conference.
Cr Capar apologised for his actions in his letter of resignation to cemetery trust chairwoman Cr Kathryn Eriksson on 27 October.
Cr Eriksson told Star she did not think it was necessary to include the details of Cr Capar’s resignation in the report because “it’s already been made public knowledge”.
“The quarterly report really deals with the workings of the cemetery trust, there are more important matters and it’s just really unfortunate that the actions of Ken Capar have reflected on the trust this way,” Cr Eriksson said.
Keilor Residents and Ratepayers Association president Susan Jennison said it was necessary for the trust to have its own reporting mechanism.
“They’re critical of the press and the way the press handles issues. Wouldn’t you have thought that the council would have to be independent on those media reports in order to get the message out to the public?” Ms Jennison said.
Brimbank Mayor Margaret Giudice described the report as like any other that the council had received from the trust.
“The issue was very well publicised so there was not much point in putting it in the report,” Cr Giudice said.
But she said she had not yet seen the Mr Denboer’s letter to the trust.
Cr Sam David has been appointed to the trust to replace Cr Capar.
Mr Denboer listed the following allegations involving Cr Capar in his letter to the trust:
MAKING inappropriate sexual advances to female and male delegates.
LEAVING a hotel bar while intoxicated and aggressive and later caught with personal items belonging to another conference delegate.
MAKING comments to conference delegates stating that Keilor Cemetery Trust manager Mark Godfrey’s employment with the Keilor Cemetery Trust “was about to be terminated”.
