Ex-Southern Water boss charged over alleged plan to manipulate water tests

The former chief executive of Southern Water has been charged with conspiracy to defraud the authorities over allegations he was involved in a scheme to manipulate water quality tests to avoid millions of pounds in fines.

Matthew Wright, along with three others, are accused of conspiring to defraud the Environment Agency (EA) and water regulator Ofwat.

EA had previously asked a judge to order criminal charges against Wright, along with Philip Barker, Clive Massey and Mark Gregory.

The call was made last year but Wright lodged a legal challenge, which was rejected by two senior judges on Wednesday.

Wright’s lawyers told the Supreme Court in June that the EA had no authority to issue the subpoena and that the subpoena should be dismissed.

But judges rejected his claim and ruled that previous restrictions preventing notification of the legal challenge should be lifted.

Separate court listings showed the case against 57-year-old Haslemere, Surrey, Wright, 60, of West Chiltington, West Sussex, Massey, 64, of Brandhill, Shropshire, and Gregory, 63, of Southampton, were scheduled to be heard at Medway Magistrates’ Court on July 14.

The four are accused of conspiring to defraud Southern Water’s “public servants in terms of environmental and financial regulations” between 2012 and 2017, including the EA and Ofwat, by “implementing artificial flow disruption practices in their wastewater treatment works”.

Court lists show Southern Water was separately charged with dozens of criminal offenses for failing to comply with or violating environmental permit requirements at multiple wastewater treatment plants between 2013 and 2017.