A SULLY councillor suspended for six months for making inappropriate comments to another councillor has had the ruling overturned.

The Vale of Glamorgan council Standards Committee ruled that Cllr Lino Scaglioni breached the Community Council’s Code of Conduct and gave him a penalty of six months suspension and ordered him to complete a training session regarding the Members’ Code of Conduct

Cllr Scaglioni immediately appealed against the suspension in August 2014 to the Adjudication Panel for Wales and was advised not to comment until the appeal process was completed.

After the ruling was overturned by the Adjudication Panel for Wales Cllr Lino Scaglioni said he felt “vindicated” by the decision and questioned why he was found to have breached the Members Code of Conduct in the first place.

He added: “In the interest of natural justice it is essential that the Vale of Glamorgan Council scrutinise the competence, composition and training of their Standards Committee to ensure that it is fit for purpose in the future.”

He also said that Councillor Kevin Mahoney should apologise for branding him a “disgraced councillor”.

Head of legal services at the Vale council, Debbie Marles, said: “The Standards Committee is a statutory requirement which comprises highly competent independent, community council and unitary authority members. The Acting Ombudsman’s view was that a number of Cllr Scaglioni’s emails could have been viewed as inappropriate and suggestive of breaches of the Members’ Code of Conduct; a view which the Council’s Standards Committee shared. The decision of the Adjudication Panel for Wales will be reported shortly to the Standards Committee for consideration.”

Cllr Scaglioni added that he was glad that the ordeal was over and that justice had been done and that he could continue his work as local Community Councillor and serve his community in any way he can.

He added: “When you enter the public arena at whatever level, you put your head above the parapet and have to accept the plaudits and brickbats in equal measure.”

Cllr Scaglioni also thanked the local residents and the Sully and Lavernock Community Council for the support that he had received during these difficult months. A spokesman for the Sully and Lavernock Community Council said that they were pleased with the outcome and look forward to welcoming Cllr Scaglioni back.

Cllr Kevin Mahoney, who is standing for UKIP in the general election for the Vale of Glamorgan constituency, said: “I have long learnt to take with a very large pinch of salt any statement emanating from Mr Scaglioni and this policy continues to serve me well.”