Glens Independent Councillor Padraig McShane has claimed council officials have unilaterally decided to embargo a statement from councillors they released on behalf of them to the BBC.
The statements were made to the BBC regarding Tuesday night’s Spotlight programme which investigated low-cost disposals of public land to developers on the North Coast.
Councillor McShane stated: “Senior officials have withheld the statement from elected members despite it being purported to be made in their name.”
The councillor continued: “If council senior executive officials are releasing statements from the corporate body while embargoing those same statements from the elected members it is a clear indication that they view themselves above the elected members and untouchable.
“I’ve made several attempts over the last two days to view what senior officials were releasing on behalf of the council. The only response I received was from a staff member saying the senior executive had embargoed the statement”
The Local Democracy Reporting Service contacted Causeway Coast and Glens Council for a comment, however, they had not responded at time of going to press.
