A board member of Northern Ireland Water sacked over concerns about how the government body was being run has hit out at the decision to dismiss him.
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Declan Gormley was one of three non-executive directors who were axed along with the organisation's chairman by Stormont's Regional Development minister Conor Murphy on Friday.
The move came after an internal investigation noted that major contracts were awarded without competitive tendering.
The internal audit found there were serious breaches in governance arrangements but there was no suggestion of fraud.
But Mr Gormley, 52, vehemently denied he had done anything wrong.
"I have done nothing here which warrants my dismissal", Mr Gormley told UTV.
"I have done nothing wrong. I have acted with absolute probity. I have discharged my responsibilities as a company director with absolute integrity".
Mr Gormley accepted that breaches had been made but claimed that he had no knowledge of them.
"I have categorically had nothing to do with any of these contracts, nor indeed have I had involvement in any way with the awarding of contracts."
Mr Gormley, who is the chief executive of a local manufacturing company, was dismissed along with fellow non-executive directors John Ballard and Ruth Thompson and NIW chairman Chris Mellor.
Speaking in the Assembly on Monday, Conor Murphy detailed the investigation findings.
"The failings noted in the contracts approval internal audit report represent a serious breakdown in the governance and control framework of Northern Ireland Water," Mr Murphy said.
"It is a serious matter for those responsible and accountable, primarily the Board of Northern Ireland Water and the executive is responsible for ensuring compliance."
The company, which is responsible for providing water and sewage supplies across Northern Ireland, is set for a further independent investigation to identify who was directly responsible for the controversial decisions and if senior staff at NIW should face disciplinary action.
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