Angus Council chiefs said they are confident the authority has finally resolved major electrical problems, which have plagued Forfar’s County Buildings for months.
The long-running fault sparked the shutdown of the Market Street premises and also led to a criminal investigation being mounted after suspicions of foul play emerged during the probe into the problems.
That CID inquiry is continuing and no one has yet been charged in relation to the matter, but it now appears that council staff will soon be back at their desks at the various departments based there.
However, questions still surround the scale and cost of the work carried out to rectify the problems, and the timetable for employees returning to the property after the local authority declined to detail the repair scheme.
A council spokespman said, “The renewed electrics have been thoroughly tested and the council is satisfied that the system is working satisfactorily.
“The council is now taking the opportunity to carry out some other upgrading work while the building is empty.”
Difficulties first emerged in mid-February when staff in departments including the council’s planning office encountered email and other IT problems.
Despite assurances that the problem had been rectified, the situation took a dramatic turn of events around two months after the initial glitches surfaced, when there were reports of sockets melting on walls within the building.
Then in May, police said they had launched a formal inquiry after an initial joint investigation with Tayside Fire and Rescue led them to believe specific April incidents may have been the result of foul play.
Police confirmed that those inquiries are continuing.