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

Former head of enforcement at Southern Water, Matthew Wright, has been charged with conspiracy to defraud authorities over an alleged scheme to manipulate water quality tests. Wright faces the charge alongside Philip Barker, Clive Massey and Mark Gregory. The Environment Agency previously sought a summons against Wright, Barker, Massey and Gregory, which was issued last year. Wright challenged the summons, but two senior judges dismissed his legal action on Wednesday. In June, Wright’s lawyers told the High Court that the Environment Agency lacked the authority to issue the summons and urged it to be set aside. The judges rejected that argument and ordered that any restrictions preventing reporting of the proceedings be lifted. Tribunal records show the case against Wright, 60, of Haslemere, Surrey; Barker, 57, of West Chiltington, West Sussex; Massey, 64, of Brandhill, Shropshire; and Gregory, 63, of Southampton, is scheduled for hearing at Medway Magistrates’ Court on 14 July. The quartet is accused of conspiring between 2012 and 2017 to "defraud persons performing nationalist duties successful respect of biology and fiscal regulation" of Southern Water, including the Environment Agency and Ofwat, by "the implementation of artificial no-flow events astatine wastewater attraction works". Separate tribunal listings indicate Southern Water itself has been charged with dozens of offences for failing to comply with or contravening an biology licence information between 2013 and 2017 at aggregate wastewater attraction works.