A council chief executive convicted of drink-driving and fleeing the scene of a collision received a payout of nearly £90,000 after stepping down from his role.
Bayo Dosunmu, 46, left his £190,000-a-year post at Labour-run Lambeth Council following his arrest in June last year, which led to a two-year driving ban after he pleaded guilty to multiple motoring offences.
Newly released documents show Dosunmu was awarded a "settlement agreement" worth £87,879, citing the "unexpected and unprecedented emergency situation" that arose.
The "golden goodbye" has sparked fury among campaigners, who have branded it a waste of taxpayers' money, The Telegraph reports.
Dosunmu was behind the wheel of a white Jeep when he crashed into a blue Toyota shortly before 9am on June 23, near Wandsworth Bridge Road in Fulham.
The driver of the Toyota pursued Dosunmu as he tried to flee, forcing him to stop. When police arrived, officers reported he was slurring his words and "struggling to follow directions". Tests found he was three times the drink-drive limit.
He pleaded guilty at Westminster Magistrates’ Court in September 2024 to drink-driving, driving without insurance and failing to stop at the scene of a collision.
He was sentenced to a 12-month community order, 150 hours of unpaid work and 15 days of rehabilitation activity requirement.
At the time of sentencing, his lawyer Colin Aylott KC said Dosunmu had a “history of public service” and that losing his job had taken "a heavy toll on him", adding that he had since moved in with a relative.
Following his resignation, Lambeth resident Sheila O’Reilly submitted a data request asking whether the council considered Dosunmu’s behaviour gross misconduct.
In response, the council said: "The council considered the issues as ones which gave rise to the question of whether trust and confidence in Dosunmu as chief executive had broken down."
It added Dosunmu was suspended the day he was arrested and resigned the following month "but no reason was given".
The council said under his contractual terms, he was paid £46,943 for his notice period, £6,687 for untaken leave, and two pro-rata payments totalling £34,250 for his acting returning officer duties during the July 4 general election and a by-election.
Dosunmu has also kept his government-deferred pension.
Ms O’Reilly has since launched an online petition demanding government intervention, accusing the council of being "increasingly authoritarian" with "no meaningful opposition" and mounting debts.
Elliot Keck, head of campaigns at the TaxPayers’ Alliance, said: "It’s an absolute disgrace that a council boss on a six-figure salary was handed nearly £90,000 of taxpayers’ cash after being convicted of drink-driving and fleeing the scene of a crash.
"Residents expect their hard-earned money to fund front-line services, not soft landings for disgraced officials.
"Lambeth council should explain why someone who brought the council into disrepute was handed a golden goodbye instead of being shown the door without a penny."
A Lambeth Council spokesman said: “Bayo Dosunmu stepped down as chief executive of Lambeth council in July 2024. He received payment in respect of his notice period, untaken annual leave and for his work as acting returning officer for the general election and a by-election.
"These were paid in line with his contract and for work already completed."
