The Northern Ireland Audit Office is set to begin an investigation into troubled Northern Ireland Water.
The probe has been requested by Stormont's Public Accounts Committee, which is scrutinising the controversial sackings of four non-executive directors.
On Tuesday Northern Ireland auditor Kieran Donnelly met the PAC at Stormont to determine the scope of his inquiry.
A spokesman for the audit office confirmed: "The comptroller and auditor general has decided to go into Northern Ireland Water having been requested to do so by the PAC. It will be happening in the next few days.
"It is to examine documentation relating to procurement issues identified in various NIW internal audit reports."
Declan Gormley, Ruth Thompson, John Ballard and Chris Mellor from Northern Ireland Water were fired in March, after an internal audit revealed contracts worth millions of pounds had been improperly approved.
Following the audit, the Department of Regional Development appointed an Independent Review Team to investigate who was responsible for the failings in the organisation.
UTV obtained a trail of emails prompting questions about the independence of the government appointed-inquiry and the conduct of top DRD civil servant Paul Priestly.
Mr Priestly was suspended pending an investigation after he admitted drafting a letter criticising three MLAs serving on the Public Accounts Committee.
The PAC has confirmed it will continue to convene extra meetings "to address fully the considerable weight of evidence it has received in the course of its inquiry."
"The Committee also agreed to continue to work and liaise closely with the Committee for Regional Development."
Last week, Regional Development Minister Conor Murphy told members of the DRD committee that he stood by the Northern Ireland Water sackings.
Mr Murphy has welcomed the Northern Ireland Audit probe.
"I very much welcome the involvement of the NIAO in validating the contract procurement failures at NI Water and will await with interest their findings," he said on Tuesday.
The PAC meeting was held in closed session.
© UTV News