> ## Content Index > Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.localauthority.news/llms.txt > Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further. # Seven years later, Medway's fraud investigation has ended with no answers - URL: https://www.localauthority.news/kent-police-mcg-investigation/ - Published: 2026-10-09T07:54:36.000Z - Updated: 2026-10-09T07:54:36.000Z - Description: Plus Medway's first Young Mayor, another Chatham fire, a very unfortunate florist typo and a grand old Rochester house - Author: Ed Jennings - Tags: News **A seven-year investigation into alleged financial wrongdoing at Medway Council's former commercial company has ended without charges, but the council believes Kent Police's handling of the case may have prevented the allegations from ever being properly tested. We look at what the newly published papers reveal, why councillors are considering a formal complaint and the political connections that make the whole affair even more complicated. Elsewhere, Medway elects its first Young Mayor, another Chatham landmark catches fire, and a Strood florist suffers an unfortunate administrative transformation.* ### Seven years later, Medway's fraud investigation has ended with no answers A seven-year police investigation into allegations of financial wrongdoing at Medway Council's former commercial company has ended without anyone being charged, and the council now wants an independent investigation into how Kent Police handled the case. ![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c9/db/c9dbc66c-6648-4e37-8eff-948c5ef63bc6/content/images/2026/10/AdobeStock_1228302822_Editorial_Use_Only--1--1.jpeg) The story goes back to 2018, when a whistleblower approached Medway Council with concerns about Medway Commercial Group, the council-owned company set up three years earlier to run services commercially and make money for the authority. Those concerns centred on three people involved with the company: its chief executive Ian Price, former chief executive Vikram Sahdev, and Andrew Mackness, who was both chairman of MCG and a Conservative member of Medway Council's Cabinet at the time. Mackness will be familiar to longer-term followers of Medway politics as one of those figures who somehow has a habit of turning up in quite a lot of stories. The whistleblower alleged that companies connected to Price and Sahdev had been invoicing MCG, while work had been carried out on projects linked to a company owned by Mackness without the costs being recharged, potentially providing a personal benefit. Medway's own internal audit subsequently found what it described as "prima facie evidence of potential criminal activity." Its investigation raised suspicions about contracts, invoices, expenses, and work carried out through MCG, and recommended that the matter be handed to the police. It eventually was in March 2019, resulting in an investigation that lasted for more than seven years. The case passed between different police officers repeatedly, with changes to the investigating team in 2020, 2021, 2024, 2025 and again later in the process. In August 2024, Medway officers were told the case was being reviewed with the Crown Prosecution Service with a view to agreeing a possible charging strategy. But only months later, Kent Police suddenly asked the council for around 70 further pieces of evidence. By the end of January 2025, that had grown to around 120. Then came an even more striking request in June this year. A new police team asked Medway for information on how MCG was structured, how its directors were appointed, what authority they had, how projects were approved, how financial controls worked, and precisely what evidence supported each allegation. Council officers say they were "shocked" because the request read more like the beginning of an investigation than something being asked seven years into one, which is really the heart of Medway's complaint. By the time police were asking some of these questions, records had disappeared, staff had left, and memories had faded. The council says that if the police had requested the same information earlier, it would have been in a much better position to provide it, and the investigation might have had a very different outcome. Kent Police ultimately concluded that significant evidential gaps remained and that some of the material it needed was either no longer retained or had never existed. The force said the case could no longer meet the evidential standard required to be referred to the Crown Prosecution Service, and closed the investigation with no further action. It is important to note that nobody involved has been charged or convicted of any offence, and nothing in these papers establishes that Price, Sahdev or Mackness committed a crime. But Kent Police also did not conclude the allegations were baseless. Its closure letter specifically says its decision "should not be interpreted as a finding that the concerns raised by Medway Council were unfounded." Mackness has strongly denied wrongdoing. [He told KentOnline this week](https://www.kentonline.co.uk/medway/news/more-allegations-revealed-as-police-are-accused-of-bungling-346060/?ref=localauthority.news) that the allegations against him were "groundless and unfounded", said Kent Police had carried out a professional and thorough investigation, and described any further investigation as an unnecessary waste of taxpayers' money. Sahdev declined to comment to the newspaper. Medway Council has reached a rather less flattering conclusion about the police investigation. [Next Thursday](https://democracy.medway.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=122&MId=6715&ref=localauthority.news), councillors will be asked to approve a formal complaint to the Independent Office for Police Conduct. The draft letter accuses Kent Police of running an investigation that was "poorly resourced", "ineffectively conducted and managed", and which "lacked the characteristics of a thorough, effective and/or efficient process." More seriously, the council says the delay has left it unable to take civil action against those it believed may have been responsible because the relevant limitation period has now expired. In other words, Medway's case is not merely that the criminal investigation failed, but that the length of time it took may also have closed off another route through which the allegations could have been tested. There is also an awkward detail about who should oversee such a complaint, as a complaint should usually be handled by the Police and Crime Commissioner in the first instance. Kent's Police and Crime Commissioner [Matthew Scott](https://www.kentcurrent.news/i-might-well-be-interested-in-putting/?ref=localauthority.news) was first elected in 2016, when his election agent was Andrew Mackness. Because Mackness was one of the people whose conduct formed part of the original investigation, Medway says there is a potential conflict and wants the IOPC to consider having another police force investigate Kent Police's handling of the case instead. There is no suggestion Scott was involved in any of the matters investigated. The proposal goes before full council on Thursday. The underlying documents contain considerably more, including disputed contracts, spending, projects in Halling, and some fairly extraordinary recorded conversations. We will return to those in future weeks. For now, though, the central problem is straightforward enough. Kent Police spent seven years investigating serious allegations involving a council-owned company, only to conclude that the evidence was no longer sufficient to proceed. Medway Council now wants someone else to investigate how it took seven years to reach that point, so the never-ending saga of Medway Commercial Group keeps rolling on. ****Come and work with us.** We have never advertised roles like these before, so this remains slightly unfamiliar territory. We’re looking for two paid freelancers to work with **Local Authority* and the **Kent Current* until March. One will focus on helping more people discover and subscribe to our journalism. The other will work on sponsorship, advertising, and our relationships with commercial partners. You don’t need to produce an elaborate application. A short email explaining what you have done before and why you might be a good fit is enough. A CV or LinkedIn profile is welcome, but not essential. [You can find the full details here](https://www.localauthority.news/work-with-us/). Applications close at 5pm on Wednesday. [Find out more and apply ](https://www.localauthority.news/work-with-us/) ### Catch Up Some things in Medway sound simple enough until you actually look at how they work. Take [Nature Connects](https://www.localauthority.news/ive-always-been-a-massive-nature-geek-2/), coming to Rochester Cathedral this weekend. For £5, the event somehow includes music, spoken word, stories and food, bringing together performers and traditions from around the world. Steven spoke to artistic director Tim Harrison about 43 years of birdwatching, why food keeps turning up in his projects and the unlikely football kickabout that eventually brought him to Medway. [“I’ve always been a massive nature geek”What Steven asked Tim Harrison, artistic director of We Live Here![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c9/db/c9dbc66c-6648-4e37-8eff-948c5ef63bc6/content/images/icon/e0427958-7c7a-4313-89a6-4e4dee805f2a_256x256--2--886820d2-a78c-4a6f-9054-fac1f8dfacf7.png)Local AuthoritySteven Keevil![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c9/db/c9dbc66c-6648-4e37-8eff-948c5ef63bc6/content/images/thumbnail/timh-22d1d103-be33-497f-b7ec-4e1741fe297e.jpg)](https://www.localauthority.news/ive-always-been-a-massive-nature-geek-2/) Then there are [Gillingham’s conservation areas](https://www.localauthority.news/gillinghams-conservation-areas-are-anything-but-conserved/), two of which are officially in ‘very bad’ condition despite supposedly being protected. Railway Street and Gillingham Green are both highly vulnerable, neither has an agreed strategy for improvement, and Medway has more than three times the national proportion of conservation areas on the at-risk register. Which raises the question of what exactly is being conserved. [Gillingham’s conservation areas are anything but conservedWhy two protected parts of Gillingham are officially in ‘very bad’ condition, plus Chatham’s new supermarket where anyone can buy discounted food![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c9/db/c9dbc66c-6648-4e37-8eff-948c5ef63bc6/content/images/icon/e0427958-7c7a-4313-89a6-4e4dee805f2a_256x256--2--36a8dc50-98c4-4592-8cdc-c706e413370e.png)Local AuthorityEd Jennings![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c9/db/c9dbc66c-6648-4e37-8eff-948c5ef63bc6/content/images/thumbnail/Screenshot-2026-10-07-at-11.08.57-2-1-fd078442-4161-4caf-8034-238a262951ae.png)](https://www.localauthority.news/gillinghams-conservation-areas-are-anything-but-conserved/) And finally, [Medway’s urgent care system has been untangled](https://www.localauthority.news/medway-untangles-its-rather-strange-urgent-care-system/). Until last week, patients at Medway Maritime could be assessed by one provider, sent to another operating alongside it, and occasionally sent straight back again. The new arrangement looks considerably more sensible on paper. Whether it actually improves things for patients is what matters. ### In brief 🏥 Kent and Medway Mental Health NHS Trust has been told [it must improve leadership](https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cmkgkzy609yzo?ref=localauthority.news) after an inspection found patients were not always protected from the risks of poor care. 🗳️ Medway now has [its first ever Young Mayor](https://www.medway.gov.uk/news/article/2153/medways%5Ffirst%5Fever%5Fyoung%5Fmayor%5Fand%5Fdeputy%5Fyoung%5Fmayors%5Fannounced?ref=localauthority.news), with Amelia-Rose elected after more than 2,700 young people voted over the summer. She will be supported by seven Deputy Young Mayors, because apparently one deputy would have been far too straightforward. 🚒 The former Gala/Buzz Bingo hall in Chatham [caught fire this week](https://www.kent.fire-uk.org/incident/medway/derelict-building-fire-chatham-0?ref=localauthority.news), with eight fire engines needed to bring the blaze under control. 💐 Strood florist and coffee shop The Bloom Room has applied to put three tables and eight chairs outside its High Street premises, but the [official public notice](https://www.gravesham.gov.uk/licensing/licence-public-notices-1/2?ref=localauthority.news) currently gives the business the rather more sinister name of The Blood Room. We assume this is a typo, although it would certainly broaden the customer base. ## ****Local journalism that takes Medway seriously** Free, independent reporting on the stories that matter to our towns Subscribe for free Email sent! Check your inbox to complete your signup. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime. ### Council matters **Meetings next week:** - **Tuesday:** [Health and Adult Social Care Overview and Scrutiny Committee](https://democracy.medway.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=131&MId=6638&ref=localauthority.news) meets to discuss improving GP services, the recent move of MedOCC, and more. - **Thursday:** [Council](https://democracy.medway.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=122&MId=6715&ref=localauthority.news) will meet for a long one, debating the cost of local government reorganisation, further complaints against Cllr Chris Spalding, police handling of the MCG case, and lots more. **New planning applications:** - Replacement of garage on The Brook in Chatham with two residential blocks comprising [9 flats](https://publicaccess1.medway.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=TMJQJGKNLHR00&ref=localauthority.news). - Change of use of dance studio on Chatham High Street to [educational facility](https://publicaccess1.medway.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=TM8MKPKNMHE00&activeTab=summary&ref=localauthority.news). ### Property of the week There are certain houses around Medway that you can walk past for years and wonder what they look like inside. These enormous, square Victorian-looking houses on Maidstone Road in Rochester have always been among them, and now one is on the market for £525,000\. It is a substantial six-bedroom semi-detached house spread across several floors, with high ceilings, large windows, two reception rooms and a generous garden. The exterior is wonderfully imposing, although the interior is rather more of an adventure. There is a bright yellow room with green woodwork, a red reception room, some magnificent original floor tiles and a kitchen that appears to have last been fashionable during a particularly colourful period of British history. The agent describes it as requiring modernisation throughout and being sold as seen, which is estate agent language for bringing considerably more money than the asking price. Still, there is something rather appealing about getting your hands on one of Rochester's grand old houses and having the opportunity to make it magnificent again. [Check out this 6 bedroom semi-detached house for sale on Rightmove6 bedroom semi-detached house for sale in Maidstone Road, Rochester, Kent, ME1 for £525,000\. Marketed by Mann, Rochester![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c9/db/c9dbc66c-6648-4e37-8eff-948c5ef63bc6/content/images/icon/favicon-d7416b09-02e6-4af9-8096-f20e7895286b.ico)Rightmove.co.uk![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/c9/db/c9dbc66c-6648-4e37-8eff-948c5ef63bc6/content/images/thumbnail/afeb8f3f7bbffd0fd8fa0e1c454be057-40130b92-7e72-4649-8ed9-9fd9b7aeed28.jpg)](https://www.rightmove.co.uk/properties/93911514?ref=localauthority.news#/) ### Events this week 🍠 Sat 10 Oct - [**Nature Connects**](https://www.rochestercathedral.org/new-events/2026/10/10/natureconnects?ref=localauthority.news) // Music, spoken word, and a harvest feast. Rochester Cathedral. Tickets £5. 💬 Wed 14 Oct - [**Kieran Poole: Shopping List Guy**](https://www.medwayticketslive.co.uk/event/Wigmore-Lectures-Shopping-List-Guy?ref=localauthority.news) // Eco artist talks about his work transforming discarded things. Wigmore Library, Rainham. Tickets £5. ### **Footnotes** ✉️ Have a Medway story you think we might be interested in? Get in touch via ****hello(at)localauthority(dot)news** \- We’re always happy to talk off the record in the first instance… Follow us elsewhere: [Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/localauthoritynews), [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/localauthoritynews/?ref=localauthority.news), [BlueSky](https://bsky.app/profile/localauthority.news?ref=localauthority.news), and now [WhatsApp](https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb8BTeEDzgTKTFi4Qv3H?ref=localauthority.news) for new story alerts.