Advisor to Nicky Morgan banned from teaching after awarding £1m contracts to his lover

A ‘superhead’ advisor to Education Secretary Nicky Morgan has been banned from teaching after awarding computer contracts worth over £1 million to his gay lover’s company.

Greg Wallace, 46, bought IT services from C2 Technology Ltd while running the Best Start Federation of primary schools in Hackney.

Wallace did not disclose he was in a sexual relationship with Tony Zangoura
the principle director and shareholder of the company, the National College for Teaching and Leadership heard.

The money was paid over a five year period, breaching financial governance with regards to appropriate use of public money.

The director had been in a sexual relationship with Wallace in 2008 and from the summer of 2012 onwards.

Wallace, who was a company secretary for C2 Technology, sent emails to Zangoura encouraging him to invoice for as much as possible.

‘You shd charge for last week and this because some of it is research time,’ said Wallace.

‘I have got loads of things for you to look into and you can list them all on the invoice.’

Wallace also disclosed confidential information to Zangoura about bids being tendered by competitors to C2 Technology Ltd.

He copied him into emails sent by the rival firm and advised him on amendments to the C2 proposals.

Wallace was also helped by Zangoura in creating ‘new cleared down [email] accounts’ for himself and the other heads of schools within BSF, just a day after a visit by the Audit and Anti-Fraud Division of the London Borough of Hackney.

He had also recommended to the governing body in April of 2011 that C2 Technology Ltd should fit out the ICT suite at Whitmore school.

Wallace received £4,000 from Zangoura just two months later for an ‘Effective Marking joint Venture’ he operated with them.

Wallace had also failed to disclose he had been Company Secretary of C2 Technology for five years prior to working at the Federation.

He admitted breaching finance governance standards, not declaring an interest, disclosing confidential information and receiving assistance from Zangoura.

The NCTL found that there was conflict of interest, but that he had not been dishonest.

Panel chairman Martin Greenslade said: ‘Mr Wallace had a clear and significant conflict of interest in dealing with C2 Technology Limited based on his previous role as a company secretary.

‘The close nature of Mr Wallace’s relationship with TZ, and the nature of communications between them, both created a conflict of interest.

‘The panel has seen written evidence from a number of witnesses testifying to the excellent work of Mr Wallace and his inspirational abilities in improving the teaching of children.

‘The panel has determined that a recommendation for a prohibition order will not be appropriate in this case.’

However, the Secretary of State rejected the NCTL recommendation, and instead banned Wallace from teaching.

They said: ‘I believe that the panel has not taken sufficient account of the public concern that would arise, and that public confidence in the profession could be seriously weakened, if the conduct found proved in this case was not treated with the utmost seriousness.’

Wallace, who was present at the hearing, was banned from teaching indefinitely.

He started out as headteacher of Woodberry Down in 2001 and was deemed so successful he was drafted in to turn around four more underperforming schools – London Fields in Westgate Street, Whitmore in Bridport Place, Hoxton, Mandeville in Oswald Street, Lower Clapton and Burbage in Ivy Street, Hoxton.

He was fired by Hackney Council in 2014 and the Best Start Federation has since been shut down.
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