An investigation has been launched into the dereliction of duty by two managers at the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA).
This mishandling of power allegedly resulted in the authority purchasing some $7.7 million worth of chemicals, which they no longer uses to treat its water.
According to a GML report, the hefty purchase has left the authority with hundreds of thousands of dollars in expired products on its hands.
WASA’s Internal Audit and Compliance Department (IACD) advised via a report, that WASA obtain explanations and relevant supporting documentation from the managers for 36,287 kilograms of the chemical sequestrant ordered at a cost of $980,837.61 for sites no longer utilising the chemical and correspondence used to execute orders for 32,619 kilograms of chemicals valued at $881,691.57 which was received after the expiration of the contract.
IACD also recommended that based on explanations received the managers are “held accountable for failing to implement controls,” as well as “ordering the sequestrant after the contract extension period of April 8, 2020 and obtaining Tender Committee approval to ratify the delivery” after the contract extension date.
A sequestering agent is added to WASA’s water before distribution. This offers scale and corrosion control.
The managers are being probed for failing to manage the authority’s procurement process and inventory system.
The report compiled by IACD found that the managers allegedly misled the authority’s Tender Committee and its board by providing erroneous information which led to WASA incurring millions of dollars in losses.
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