Interesting court martial on the horizon, General in the dock.

[stacker1]

There was a Clerk at either 1 or 6 Regt who milked far more than that, plus a few years of CEA fraud. Disappeared to the Caribbean when the SIB arrested her.

I heard she committed fraud/theft then fucked off on leave and never came back. I dont think the SIB got her.

I admire her planning.

 

[Fiona_TG]

She was found guilty of 15 charges, Nicky boy is only facing one (Which I was surprised at as according to the papers it was over a 15 month period so he would have had to have blagged CEA at least twice).

I am not sure he would find much hope in that but you never know. If we think of this as the Yin side of things then the Yang, his (alleged) fiddle being a magnitude higher and perhaps his rank could work against him.

 

[bobthebuilder]

CEA rules are that SFA is primary family residence and this is where the family makes its home 100%.

Kids come back for holidays, weekends and exeats; mum and kids are there irrespective of how shit it is or where dad is. A decent boarding school kids will be home 20 weeks a year, plus one weekend a month and ad-hoc floating exeats, special occasions, uni visits, etc.

CEA is not to allow you to pick & chose which house you live, even if your quarter is a bit grubby with peeling magnolia paint, blue carpets and pink curtains. Or to allow your spouse to stick with her well paid job and live in your family home, treating SFA as transit accom. Ignorance is no defence. If Gen Nick is guilty then so is Mrs Welch.

I’m not defending them. They knew the rules. it’s up to the prosecution to prove guilt.

I’m questioning the rules. Personally, I think an organisation that has to take several employees a year to court over defrauding an allowance has a serious problem. Either the rules of the allowance are creating a trap or they are promoting dishonest people. I suspect both.

I cannot see why the taxpayer should be funding Welch’s children’s boarding education at all.

 

[Fiona_TG]

There was a Clerk at either 1 or 6 Regt who milked far more than that, plus a few years of CEA fraud. Disappeared to the Caribbean when the SIB arrested her.

Well if you are going to go AWOL do it with style I suppose.

 

[Danny_Dravot]

I heard she committed fraud/theft then fucked off on leave and never came back. I dont think the SIB got her.

I admire her planning.

Was definitely arrested, I recall being DFO and hearing about it

 

[stacker1]

I’m not defending them. They knew the rules. it’s up to the prosecution to prove guilt.

I’m questioning the rules. Personally, I think an organisation that has to take several employees a year to court over defrauding an allowance has a serious problem. Either the rules of the allowance are creating a trap or they are promoting dishonest people. I suspect both.

I cannot see why the taxpayer should be funding Welch’s children’s boarding education at all.

I suspect they are thieving cnuts, the rule "trap" no one. About 4000 people claim CEA so a handful of theiving bellends a year is not compelling evidence of anything other than them being greedy.

That taxpayer should fund any soldiers child if they want that soldier to move around.

 

[stacker1]

Was definitely arrested, I recall being DFO and hearing about it

Im sure she fucked off and then they found out there was a large hole in the accounts.
SIB probably tried to blag going to her country to find her.

 

[Danny_Dravot]

Im sure she fucked off and then they found out there was a large hole in the accounts.
SIB probably tried to blag going to her country to find her.

either way, it was a serious amount of money for a JNCO, upwards of £50k. She was never to be seen again

 

[Roadster280]

I'll admit to a bit of naïveté here. When I was considering the Army, aged 15 or so, I didn't understand that the majority of the Army was posted overseas. BAOR accounted for approximately half, several regiments' worth in Honkers and Cyprus, not counting probably another couple regiments' worth in the US, Canada, Belgium, and the Netherlands. UK based units were predominantly training, and NI.

Given the prevalence of overseas postings in the 80s/90s, and the generation that it takes to change anything significant in the Army, it doesn't surprise me that VSOs and their families have attitudes stemming from back then. The defendant probably did regimental duty in Hohne or Osnabrück or similar, and had their characters so shaped. It doesn't excuse anything, but it might explain it.

 

[alfred_the_great]

from what I've seen of RN types, work and family are firewalled. There isn't the organic unit family feel like an army unit, work together, play together etc. Plus most PWOs make up for the cunitishness of all other branches, it would be difficult to tell. Apologies if you're a PWO. You seem alright (for a PWO).

show me on the doll where the naughty PWO touched you...

 

[Danny_Dravot]

show me on the doll where the naughty PWO touched you...

I just heard one of the biggest cnuts I worked with is now a 1*...even other PWOs think he's a twunt!

 

[baldbof]

She also told the panel that a year into Maj Gen Welch owning the London property, Maj Gen Welch's boarding school child - who was supposed to live at the home while not at school - didn't event know its address.

Does that statement mean the investigators interviewed a child in order to get a statement against their father? Is that allowed? Just asking cos I'm not a legal beagle.

 

[Danny_Dravot]

I'll admit to a bit of naïveté here. When I was considering the Army, aged 15 or so, I didn't understand that the majority of the Army was posted overseas. BAOR accounted for approximately half, several regiments' worth in Honkers and Cyprus, not counting probably another couple regiments' worth in the US, Canada, Belgium, and the Netherlands. UK based units were predominantly training, and NI.

Given the prevalence of overseas postings in the 80s/90s, and the generation that it takes to change anything significant in the Army, it doesn't surprise me that VSOs and their families have attitudes stemming from back then. The defendant probably did regimental duty in Hohne or Osnabrück or similar, and had their characters so shaped. It doesn't excuse anything, but it might explain it.

Whilst all major units have recovered to UK, there are a considerable number of overseas appointments primarily at OF4-OF6: DA, NATO, wider DE, training, LOs plus a whole load of 12 month OCE appts. You'd be astonished where we have people and in what numbers. Eg, there are something like 200 OF3+ posts in USA, Saudi has 50+, Oman (exceptionally) is headed up by a 2* etc. Whilst our army has shrunk, our influence is being maintained of sorts. We even have an OF5 in S Korea (not incl the DA).

 

[stacker1]

Does that statement mean the investigators interviewed a child in order to get a statement against their father? Is that allowed? Just asking cos I'm not a legal beagle.

I should assume so, why wouldnt it be allowed?

 

[9.414]

....

Where as his solicitor appears to be in the slow lane.

Meanwhile, the officer's defence barrister ...

I think you are blaming the wrong profession.

He is not represented by a solicitor, but by a barrister.

 

[stacker1]

Whilst our army has shrunk, our influence is being maintained of sorts. We even have an OF5 in S Korea (not incl the DA).

Or to put it another way, certain people enjoy jollies abroad and arent wanting to give them up.

 

[stacker1]

I think you are blaming the wrong profession.

He is not represented by a solicitor, but by a barrister.

Meh, whoever it is, he sounds shit.

 

[9.414]

Meh, whoever it is, he sounds shit.

... your usual accuracy? He is a she ...

I only point it out because being a bit careless with claims etc can get you into a lot of trouble! Just ask the General ...

 

[Roadster280]

Whilst all major units have recovered to UK, there are a considerable number of overseas appointments primarily at OF4-OF6: DA, NATO, wider DE, training, LOs plus a whole load of 12 month OCE appts. You'd be astonished where we have people and in what numbers. Eg, there are something like 200 OF3+ posts in USA, Saudi has 50+, Oman (exceptionally) is headed up by a 2* etc. Whilst our army has shrunk, our influence is being maintained of sorts. We even have an OF5 in S Korea (not incl the DA).

I’ve met many of the US ones. There was an RAF Wg Cdr in the cyber field who looked about 12. Way too young to have kids in boarding school

I can’t help but think the CEA landscape is at least changing, if not going away entirely. Cases like this don’t help at all. Anyway, I can’t speak from moral high ground, my UK kids live with their mother in the UK, and I am overseas, permanently.

 

[Danny_Dravot]

Or to put it another way, certain people enjoy jollies abroad and arent wanting to give them up.

That's not the case at all. We couldn't send a SNCO, WO or even a Major to be our defence rep in say the UN DPKO...3 yr tour in Manhattan. Its a shit job but someones got to do it!