“I utterly refute any wrong doing on my behalf in discharging my duties..”

Declan Gormley, one of the non-executive directors sacked by the Northern Ireland Regional Development Minister from the Board of NI Water, is to seek legal advice. The BBC report has several quotes

“I do not agree with the decision and believe it was unmerited and without due cause,” [Mr Gormley] said. “I utterly refute any wrong doing on my behalf in discharging my duties as a non-executive director at Northern Ireland Water during my 20 months on the board. “At all times I have acted in accordance with my responsibilities as a company director, and reiterate that I have done nothing during my period on the board which would merit any sanction never mind dismissal.”

And

But Mr Gormley questioned how the independent review team had come to its conclusion.

“No specific act or omission of mine has been brought to my attention which leads me to question my conduct,” he said.

He also asked why he had lost his job while others who were involved in the same “collective decision making process” had not.

“In performing my duties as a Non Executive Director of NIW I challenged certain aspects of the process undertaken by the Independent Review Team.

“I find it regrettable that of the 28 people interviewed by the Independent Review Team that I am the only individual who has not had an agreed record of his meeting with the IRT included by them in the records of their enquiries, or incorporated into their findings.

“It should be equally noted that over 70% of the issues identified in the internal audit and subsequently included in the IRT review occurred before I joined the organisation.”

He said that since he joined the board, he was not aware of any contract that was not compliant with the company’s procurement protocols.

Pete Baker