Five men convicted of bribery have been ordered to pay back nearly £365,000 to Cardiff Council.
Three men, including a council worker from Penarth, were jailed after it emerged the owner of a skip hire firm was paying staff to deliberately under weigh loads he delivered to the Bessemer Close recycling centre.
It was claimed A&T Waste Management, run by Warren Roberts, saved huge amounts of money in their operating costs - with the council losing around £417,000 in tipping fees as a result.
Companies taking waste to recycling centres are charged in relation to the weight of the amount they bring on site.
A court heard Roberts had entered a criminal working arrangement with four people who shared his weekly payments of £1700 between them in return for undercharging.
Roberts (57), of Penylan, pleaded guilty to bribery charges and was jailed for 28 months.
Of the four council workers, Andrew Barnett (56) from Penarth was jailed for 18 months after he was found guilty of bribery following a trial at Cardiff Crown Court.
The other three defendants pleaded guilty to bribery:
- Cesario Deabreu (36) of Llanedeyrn was jailed for 22 months
- Anthony Miles (58) of Penarth was given a suspended prison sentence of 14 months
- Josh Hayman (33) of Tredegar was given a suspended prison sentence of nine months
A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing, held at Cardiff Crown Court, ruled that all five men now must pay back the money they earned from their crimes to the council within three months or risk a further prison sentence.
* Warren Roberts - £252,027.40
* Andrew Barnett- £42,894.47
* Cesario Debreau - £42,894.47
* Anthony Miles - £17,005.95
* Josh Hayman - £9,327.93
Cardiff Council said it was important justice is served as the case had represented a theft from the taxpayers of the city.
A spokesperson said: "When these concerns were brought to our attention by a whistleblower, we acted swiftly to report them to South Wales Police."
"The investigation, which began in 2017, revealed significant corruption involving the misrepresentation of waste types and amounts to reduce billing costs for A&T Waste Management. This illegal activity resulted in substantial financial losses for the council and, by extension, the taxpayers."
"The convictions and subsequent Proceeds of Crime Act hearing have ensured that those responsible are held accountable and that the council is repatriated with the funds obtained through these crimes. This outcome is a testament to our commitment to protecting public resources and maintaining the trust of our community."
Last month, a post-trial review concluded there had been a "significant improvement" in the management of waste services at the council, despite fresh claims of a 'minor' fraud incident, which was under investigation.
The council spokesperson added: "In response to this incident, we have conducted a comprehensive review of our waste management division and implemented a series of robust measures to prevent any similar occurrences in the future."
"These measures include enhanced oversight, stricter controls, and improved training for our staff to ensure the highest standards of integrity and transparency in our operations. We will not tolerate any form of corruption and remain dedicated to safeguarding taxpayer interests and upholding the integrity of our operations.”
South Wales Police said the five convictions were the first to be obtained under the new Bribery Act.
Detective Constable Joseph Lewis, who worked on the case, said: "South Wales Police’s financial investigation in this case was detailed and proactive, leading to a significant amount of assets belonging to the defendants being identified, frozen and recovered."
"This was a complex process that involved the engagement of a forensic accountant to enable us to ascertain the value of the benefit to both Warren Roberts and the council staff he paid bribes to."
"This outcome demonstrates our determination to go after the proceeds of crime and stop those involved in corrupt activity from benefitting financially even after they have been convicted.”
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