Former CEO Matthew Wright and three other ex-employees named in criminal proceedings by Environment Agency

The former chief executive of Southern Water is being prosecuted for conspiracy to defraud along with three other former employees, over allegations they manipulated sewage wastewater testing results to avoid tens of millions of pounds in fines.

Matthew Wright is the first water industry boss to face a criminal charge over sewage discharges. He and three others are charged with conspiracy to defraud the Environment Agency and ​the water regulator, Ofwat, between 2012 and 2017 by ⁠creating artificial “no-flow” ​events ​at wastewater treatment ​works to ​influence ‌compliance checks.