The Tribune

By Khrisna Russell

AN internal investigation at the Water and Sewerage Corporation (WSC), which has seen WSC employees placed on administrative leave, is probing “allegations of theft among other serious improprieties,” The Tribune has learned.

This WSC probe, a source within the corporation said yesterday on the condition of anonymity, appears to be taking place simultaneously with an ongoing Ernst & Young (EY) forensic audit of the organisation. That investigation has been ongoing since September.

While he would not speak to this new WSC probe, when contacted yesterday WSC Chairman Adrian Gibson told The Tribune the EY audit is wrapping up and a report should be forthcoming by the end of the week or early next week.

He said: “The audit is wrapping up now and a report should be coming this week or next week.

“The board is moving to ensure transparency and that the corporation operates with efficiency and abides by all protocols.

“We want it to run as a business with all of the checks and balances in place that when allegations arise of grave concern they can be dealt with properly.

“I don’t think it’s a surprise the government and board would move to have allegations where they arise handled properly.”

Yesterday, the Nassau Guardian reported several WSC employees, including one executive, were placed on leave pending the findings of an internal investigation which was described by Works Minister Desmond Bannister as a probe of “sensitive allegations”.

He said the board requested permission to place the employees on leave and he agreed.

Back in September, at least two senior officials at WSC were placed on administrative leave while Ernst & Young performed a forensic audit of the organisation.

In a message to staff at the time, Mr Gibson announced that until October 9, 2017, General Manager Glen Laville and Chief Financial Officer Sandra Edgecombe would be replaced by Mr Deal and Acting Chief Financial Officer Cheri Hanna.

A source at the corporation later told this newspaper police escorted one senior officer home to retrieve his laptop.

Both these executives have since returned to the corporation.

In response, former WSC Chairman Leslie Miller said the government needed to explain outright what sparked the forensic audit into the WSC and the placement of the two executives on administrative leave, adding he was shocked to learn of these developments.

Mr Miller said when he served as chairman under the former Christie administration, neither he nor WSC’s board of directors were aware of anything “unbecoming” at the corporation.