NR boss cleared over 'funds misuse'

Allegations of misuse of public funds and financial impropriety against the former chief executive of Network Rail have been dismissed as groundless in an independent report.

Antony White QC, who was appointed to look into the claims against Iain Coucher, found they were unfounded.

The Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA), which made a number of accusations against the former NR boss, said it unreservedly accepted the report's findings that "all allegations of financial impropriety against Mr Coucher were unfounded".

But the union welcomed one conclusion that NR misused public funds to "buy off" a race and sex discrimination claim brought by a female employee, in an attempt to avoid "admitted and established misconduct" by Peter Bennett, the outgoing head of human resources.

Network Rail welcomed the 143-page report, noting a section which said it was hard to avoid the conclusion that the TSSA "introduced a series of increasingly serious allegations of financial impropriety against Mr Coucher for which it had no substantial evidence".

NR chairman Rick Haythornthwaite said: "I am grateful to Antony White for his thorough investigation and report. His conclusions have confirmed earlier internal investigations' findings that there was no case to answer regarding financial impropriety.

"However, in concluding that public funds were misused with regard to one compromise agreement, Antony White is essentially expressing disagreement with the conclusions of internal investigations undertaken in 2008.

He added: "The scale of the excoriating campaign waged by the TSSA against the company, and in particular against Iain Coucher regarding these groundless allegations, was unacceptable and has done great damage."

TSSA general secretary Gerry Doherty said: "We unreservedly accept his findings that all allegations of financial impropriety against Mr Coucher were unfounded."

Mr Coucher said in a statement: "The allegations made against me were malicious and scurrilous and they have now been proved to be completely without foundation."