THE SNP councillor whose enquiries sparked the property repairs scandal that still engulfs Edinburgh Council has announced that he will stand down at May’s election. Stefan Tymkewicz no longer lives in the capital and feels someone resident in the Craigentinny-Duddingston ward should represent their community.
In 2007, Tymkewicz sprang a major surprise when he was elected as a list MSP for the Lothians, and also as a city councillor on the same day. The former Metropolitan Police officer, who was fifth on the list, stood down from Holyrood a few months later, admitting it was the council seat he wanted most.
When Tymkewicz was approached in 2010 by a former council employee who told him about the expensive cars being run by lowly-paid workers in the property conservation department, he duly investigated. After millions of pounds of inflated contracts were discovered, two employees were jailed, many others left the council and the inquiries into how it happened are still going on.
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