It’s alleged that Matthew Wright conspired with his co-defendants to defraud the Environment Agency (EA) and Ofwat between 1 January 2012 and 31 December 2017.
They’re accused of manipulating the Operator Self-Monitoring (OSM) compliance testing regime which requires water firms to to take samples at their wastewater treatment works and report the results to the EA.
An EA spokesperson said: “We can confirm that we are taking criminal proceedings against Southern Water Services Limited and a number of former employees.
“We take our responsibility to protect the environment very seriously and will always pursue and prosecute those alleged to have committed serious offending against the environment. We welcome this important judgment.”
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