Theft of expensive materials owned by the Power and Water Corporation (PWC) from Darwin depots and workshops are being investigated by the police although, it says, “no formal complaint has been received”.
Allegations of criminal conduct and inappropriate behaviour of PWC are being made in an anonymous letter copied to politicians and media.
“This has been going on for years and is getting worse,” says the letter.
“Facts suggest that most of the larger theft incidents are the result of insider knowledge of where valuable items are stored and how to access these sites without being caught.
“Many stolen items seem to be left in unusual locations that makes the theft easier to pull off.
“This is not odd scraps of metal. We are talking about entire cable drums (similar to the ones pictured) loaded up with hundreds of meters of brand-new copper cables as well as other technical equipment getting stolen each month and costing the NT taxpayer hundreds of thousands if dollars per year.”
PWC is owned by the NT Government, with the Treasurer, Nicole Manison, being the only shareholder. The letter, signed “on behalf of Power and Water employees,” is addressed to her.
The allegation say the materials are usually sold back to PWC “by companies that have been contracted to build of repair PWC powerlines.”
An alleged theft in November last year is described as being captured on CCTV at PWC’s Mitchell Centre and including swipe card access details.
John Langoulant, Chairman Power and Water Corporation Board, issued the following statement: “We take these matters very seriously and will be investigating all unlawful allegations thoroughly.
“I also commit to provide our full cooperation to any inquiries undertaken by investigative bodies. I will not comment any further while this investigation is underway except to say that Power and Water recognises the role we play in the community.
“The board and I commit to dealing with these matters swiftly and fairly.”