Wintec whistleblowers come forward
Several potential whistleblowers have come forward to the Auditor General as an investigation into Wintec spending continues.
Stuff understands several current and former staff have contacted the Office of the Auditor General (OAG) of their own volition to provide information to help the office in its inquiries. Those that have made contact and provided information are shielded by the Protected Disclosure Act, dubbed the ‘‘whistleblowers act’’.
The audit, which was launched in December, is examining the spending on overseas business trips by Wintec chief executive Mark Flowers and his executives since 2013.
Flowers, who is currently on extended sick leave until mid-October, is also facing a new probe into allegations that were previously looked at in a confidential investigation in 2015.
The 2015 investigation cleared Flowers of any wrongdoing.
But in May, Queen’s Counsel Victoria Casey who reviewed the investigation, found it was not robust.
Wintec Council chairman Barry Harris said the council would re-investigate.
The woman at the centre of the 2015 probe welcomed a fresh investigation when she spoke to in May. Flowers’ sick leave comes as those involved in the 2015 probe raise further questions about it. Those central to the probe have not been contacted by Wintec or an investigator.
‘‘I would have expected at the very least a terms of reference to have been drafted up,’’ a source said. ‘‘It’s been three months since Barry said that Wintec would investigate. I’ve heard zilch.’’ The findings of the audit were initially due out with the 2015 investigation review in May. The audit remains with the Auditor General’s Office which is continuing its inquiries.
One of those that has provided information to the OAG said they had to do what was right.
‘‘Because the process was independent of the institution I felt safe to pass on the evidence I have,’’ the source said.
‘‘I wanted to ensure I was protected by the whistleblowers act, which I am, because I contacted them. I had documents that I felt were better examined by the Auditor as an independent body.’’
On Friday, Wintec Council chairman Barry Harris told staff in an email that Flowers was on sick leave.
David Christiansen has stepped in as acting chief executive in Flowers’ absence. Christiansen has been at the polytech since the early 2000s working in the planning unit and has been a senior adviser to Flowers since 2007. He also directs the international arm of Wintec.
Asked for details of Flowers’ illness and whether he had provided a medical certificate, and if so when, communications director Erin Andersen refused to answer.
She also refused to answer whether Harris had been briefed on the ongoing audit by the OAG.
Stuff also asked if Wintec had been called on to provide information to the OAG that sat outside the terms of reference for the audit. This went unanswered also.
Instead, Andersen said: ‘‘The audit assurance work from Audit NZ is still in progress, and based on the terms of reference previously circulated. Wintec at this stage doesn’t have any further information to add while it is in progress. Regarding the allegations in 2015 and the process, there will be an update on this shortly.’’
Stuff has interviewed multiple former Wintec executives and senior managers who have made serious allegations against the tertiary provider and Flowers. Earlier this year, Stuff reported Wintec had spent in excess of $200,000 on legal advice and a public relations firm to manage its image during a two-year investigation by Stuff into multiple allegations against Flowers.
Taxpayers also footed a $1400 bill for a security guard at Flowers’ home.. Wintec spent taxpayers’ money on lawyers, security and public relations after Flowers reneged on an agreement for a sit-down interview and asked for questions instead to be put in writing.
Flowers answered the questions through high-powered law firm Bell Gully, but with a not-for-publication caveat slapped on it. Stuff also attempted to talk to Flowers at Wintec’s Hamilton city campus carpark. When the reporter started asking questions, Flowers turned up his car stereo, put his SUV into reverse and left.
Flowers was not at home when Stuff called on Tuesday.