Article by Truthseeker.

Please take the time to study the following account as it will explain what local company Ampec along with many other companies have been up against for the last ten years, the calibre of certain North Down Borough Council officers will quickly become apparent: -

The sound and lighting hire business in N. Ireland is by nature very small, probably employing less than 30 people.

Some people work part time or freelance for 2 or 3 companies.

Most companies stock particular brands of equipment that they use and remain ‘loyal’ to for many years, For example, Ampec have used ‘JBL’ sound equipment for more than 30 years.

If a Tender specification sheet were produced listing equipment that is largely available from only one company, then the other companies would be quite right to complain, as they would have little chance of securing the contract.

This is precisely the situation that occurred during the tendering procedure for North Down Borough Council’s D-Day events.

There are many issues in this ‘saga’ that have been omitted because they are of a technical nature and would prolong the reading, so for clarity I have stuck to simple ‘facts’ please bear with me.

The Council’s Technical Support Officer Gary McCormick was accountable for drawing up equipment specification sheets for the various events, he procured quotes from local hire companies, and he even got to open ‘sealed tenders’.

This character was to become the most Pathological Liar companies dealing with North Down Borough Council had ever had the misfortune to come across in their lives! (Also, see other links).

A personal friend of Council Officer Gary McCormick owns a Holywood based lighting company.

Company Director Bob Forster of Stage Services Belfast informed three members of Ampec’s crew that Council Officer Gary McCormick and the Holywood based company had removed Council owned lighting equipment from the Queens Hall in Holywood on many occasions’ and ‘hired it out to local Theatre Companies’.

Bob Forster also understood that Council Officer Gary McCormick’s intention was to use the friendly supplier for the D-Day events, supplementing their limited stock with equipment from the Queens Hall.

The Council would effectively be hiring back their own equipment!

This specific incriminating accusation has been repeated and confirmed by former Holywood based company crewmembers.

Within the next week 2 Directors of Ampec were called to 2 meetings with the Councils’ Event Coordinator Carolyn Revie to ‘discuss details for the D-Day events’ Council Officer Gary McCormick was not present at either of these meetings.

As Ampec left the second meeting they were met in the corridor by Council Officer Gary McCormick who produced a specification sheet showing details of a lighting system he ‘designed’ for the D-Day events at the Leisure Centre.

He explained that there should be ‘no deviation’ from the design and he would be seeking quotes from Stage Services and the Holywood based company.

They discussed some aspects of the sound system and supplied him with a confidential quotation for sound and lighting for the three-day event.

Ampec showed the lighting ‘design’ to four separate companies who all immediately agreed that this tender was directed towards the Holywood based company.

Two Directors from Ampec along with another Director from local lighting company MoonLitin attended a meeting with Council Officer Gary McCormick’s (then) boss Council Officer John Thompson.

They explained what was going on and that while this specification sheet existed their chances of winning this contract were nil.

Council Officer John Thompson took some notes and said he would ‘sort it out that afternoon’

Council Officer John Thompson simply did nothing, and later claimed that this meeting had not taken place!

This is where the alleged ‘Cover Up’ started.

Some days later one Director from Ampec received a phone call from John Willis, who at that time worked for Stage Services and also ran his own company Concert Services.

He confirmed that Council Officer Gary McCormick had revealed their confidential quotation to both Stage Services and the Holywood based company.

Both he and his business partner subsequently put this in writing. (See document).

One week before the D-Day events took place Council Officer John Thompson phoned a Director of Ampec to say that he had been unsuccessful and (surprise)

The Holywood based company had been awarded the contract for (surprise) £100.00 below their quotation.

It has to said at this point that the ratepayers and Councillors have for ten years been under the impression that these where exclusively Ampec complaints (as they may have been misled by both Chief Executive Adrian McDowell and Chief Executive Trevor Polly’s ‘version’ of events).

The truth is that the Council received written complaints from numerous local companies regarding Council Officer Gary McCormick and their corrupt tendering policies, local papers supported the allegations.

Also, ‘all’ of the subsequent complaints were sent to the Council ‘before’ each event took place!!

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On the morning of the first concert 2 Directors from Ampec along with the Director of MoonLitin called at the Queens Hall Holywood and were informed by the caretaker that (quote) ‘the complete lighting system had been removed the night before by Council Officer Gary McCormick and the Holywood based company for use at the D-Day concerts in Bangor Leisure Centre’.

At 11.30am they called at Bangor Leisure Centre and spoke to Council Officer Ken Gillen.

They pointed out that the vast majority of lighting equipment supplied by the Holywood based company was in effect Council owned equipment and was being hired back to the Council, also that Council Officer Gary McCormick was in effect an accomplice in a crime to defraud North Down Borough Council, he appeared shamefaced and speechless. At this point Council Officers McCormick and Gillian then claimed that all the Council’s lighting equipment was in the Holywood Hall. (2 liars)

One Director from Ampec recorded the serial number from a 48ch Sirius lighting desk; on seeing this Council Officer McCormick swiftly removed the lighting desk and placed in the Holywood companies transit van.

This serial number was later checked by a Council employee who confirmed it was in fact the desk from the Queens Hall Holywood.

The Director from MoonLitin asked Council Officer Gary McCormick where he had obtained the required experience to compile technical specification sheets; he replied that he had worked for the Royal Shakespeare Company for five years.

This Director from Moonlitin later checked and confirmed this as a blatant Lie (see document).

All Directors agreed that this situation appeared to be clearly fraudulent and decided to contact a local Councillor for advice on how to proceed.

A friend insisted the only Councillor worth speaking to be Austen Lennon, whom they contacted and arranged to meet in the leisure Centre at 1.30pm.

The 3 Directors were later informed by both sound and lighting crew members that between their first and subsequent visit with Councillor Lennon, Council Officer Gary McCormick and the Holywood company ‘frantically’ removed the Council lighting equipment from the rig and placed it in the Holywood companies van.

(See document).

The Director from MoonLitin showed Councillor Lennon the vast difference in the lighting system (as it now sat a fraction of the size!) and the one on the design that they were expected to quote from!

They hold date stamped video evidence of this.

Councillor Lennon agreed that their complaint was justified.

The Directors later returned to the Leisure Centre at 6pm to watch the sound check and were subsequently forced to leave by Council Officer Ken Gillen who threatened he would ‘personally see that they would never work for the Council again’ (why?).

Three individuals witnessed this outburst.

This next part is totally ridicules, but clearly shows how far some corrupt Officers will go to lie their way out of a situation.

On the morning of 2^nd June Ampec contacted Council Officer Hillary McMullan (responsible for the Queens Hall) to ask if she would investigate their concerns, Council Officer McMullen responded in a very civil manner, as one would expect of a professional Officer.

She without delay travelled to the Queens Hall, and found that the Council lighting equipment was indeed missing, she then proceeded to the Leisure Centre to challenge Council Officer Gary McCormick regarding the whereabouts of the missing lighting equipment, as she was concerned it may have been stolen.

Council Officer Gary McCormick told her the equipment had been removed for ‘security reasons’ and placed in the Holywood companies (private) garage.

Council Officer John Thompson covered for fellow Council Officer McCormick by claiming the lighting equipment was in storage at the Town Hall, as the Queens Hall alarm system was faulty.

Councillor Lennon contacted the Alarm Company, this claim was found to be completely untrue

(It now appears that the Councils lighting equipment was held in 4 different places at the same time)

Councillor Lennon requested a local Holywood Councillor to independently visit the Queens Hall and enquire about the lighting equipment.

The caretaker informed the Holywood Councillor that Council Officer Gary McCormick and the Holywood company had indeed removed the lighting equipment for use at the D-Day events at Bangor Leisure Centre.

During the months that followed the D-Day 94 events Councillor Lennon sent many letters of complaint to Council Officer John Thompson and the then Chief Executive Adrian McDowell.

These two characters appeared to used every stall tactic in the book and supplied unacceptable and farcical ‘council speak’ answers which amounted to a Cover Up and prompted Ampec and Moonlitin’s meeting with the Local Government Ombudsman.

The Ombudsman did his best to investigate their allegations, despite the fact that ‘All’ the Council’s D-Day paperwork mysteriously went missing. Usually a clear sign to frustrate legal action, well practiced by this Council.

The Council were subsequently found guilty of ‘Maladministration’ in the report, Council Officer Gary McCormick deliberately lied to the Ombudsman. (see document).

For reference, Incredibly!

The Ombudsman did not speak to Councillor Lennon (he held files and correspondence!!), Council Officer Hillary McMullan or the Queens Hall caretaker!!!

More about this later.

See also VE-Day complaints and links re Liar Gary McCormick.