Water Industry Commission for Scotland CEO Resigns Amid Expenses Scandal

Audit Scotland Report Reveals Over £77,000 Spent on Harvard Course and £2,600 on Christmas Gift Cards

Alan Sutherland, the chief executive of the Water Industry Commission for Scotland (WICS), has resigned following a scandal involving misuse of public funds.
Audit Scotland's report revealed that WICS spent over £77,000 on a Harvard Business School course for a senior executive, and £2,600 on Christmas gift cards for staff.
The report also highlighted a dinner attended by Sutherland where the cost per head exceeded £200, and an 'unusual' policy of allowing alcohol to be claimed on expenses.
The Scottish Government, which approved the expenses retrospectively, has called the failings 'completely unacceptable' and expects WICS to submit an action plan addressing the Auditor General's recommendations.
Opposition politicians have criticized the 'shocking culture of financial mismanagement' at WICS, a body funded by a levy on Scottish Water and tasked with promoting the interests of its customers.