General · 22 July 2026
Former Southern Water boss on trial over alleged sewage test manipulation
Unsplash / Ivan Bandura
Matthew Wright, the former chief executive, is facing prosecution for conspiracy to defraud alongside three other ex-employees. They are accused of faking "no-flow" events at wastewater treatment works between 2012 and 2017 to influence compliance checks. The alleged scheme helped Southern Water avoid about £45 million in penalties, according to the Environment Agency.
Reported by The Guardian · How we write briefs