The former Upper Coll grazings committee has hit out at comments made by Crofters' Commission.
The Lewis village committee was sacked by the crofting regulator in a row over the management of communal moorland.
In common with numerous grazings committees in the crofting counties, money from
the sale of feus -
The Crofting Commission insist the cash must be shared out to each individual crofter. Money for land improvements such as fencing and drainage must be separately raised from all crofters as required.
Other issues were resolved between the two groups. Yet the commission put the volunteer committee out of office despite it fulfilling its final demand to get the last five years accounts externally audited.
The former Upper Coll committee objects to comments by the crofting regulator which said the commission was obliged to follow up allegations of "financial irregularities" made by crofters in the village.
The government quango also stated it was continuing investigations until "suitable explanations" are provided.
The former committee said wording may be interpreted by some people that the group was accused of financial wrongdoing.
A spokesman for the former committee said the commission was giving the wrong impression.
He said: "These comments from the Crofting Commission are most upsetting and gives
the impression that Upper Coll were involved in financial irregularities -
The spokesman added: "The repayment of feu disposition money up to 2009 has been
completed. There is still one from 2013 to be repaid. This money is in the accounts
to be repaid -
He stressed:"At no time did the commission ask for the spreadsheet where there is a record of payments.
"Neither did they look at the list of feu dispositions paid to the township up to the present."
The grazings committee paid out over £53,000 to individual shareholders for the period
up to 2013.
The Upper Coll spokesman pointed out: "At no time have the commission asked for explanations
as to what they are looking for nor have they spoken to any of the committee. If
they had they would have been furnished with any detail that was missing -
"Neither did they consult with the accountants who scrutinised the grazings accounts over the past five years as requested and passed them as correct.
The spokesman continued: "What we are guilty of is "ignorance." Not one member of
the committee, nor of the shareholders were aware, prior to allegations being made,
of the Crofting Act which states that all money received from feu dispositions should
be paid back to all shareholders -
"When told of this by the Crofting Commission we immediately set on ensuring this
was done -
"As
a grazings we are now without money and now without a committee to oversee matters.
From a proactive township we are reduced to one of disorder.
"A grazings constable has been imposed on a township where we had an active committee of eight individuals, with a wide range of age, and where we could have 15 to 20 shareholders attending meetings.
"To add insult to injury this constable, according to the Crofting Commission, has
to be paid by all shareholders -
Crofting regulator's "financial irregularities" comment gives "wrong impression"
17 May 2016