G4S bosses in firing line after roles examined
THE roles of top bosses at security firm G4S are on the line this week as the firm finalises its internal report into its Olympic staffing fiasco.
The jobs of Nick Buckles, chief executive, David Taylor-Smith, chief operating officer, and Ian Horseman Sewell, head of global events are all being examined as part of the review process.
The internal report into the affair is expected to be published this week.
Buckles has already been hauled in front of the Home Affairs Committee twice to explain the debacle which saw the firm admit just two weeks before the Games that it could not provide the contracted 10,400 venue guards, forcing British troops to cancel holidays to fill the emergency shortfall.
In a report published last week, the committee said that the firm’s most senior personnel should be held accountable for making misleading staffing assurances to security officials so close to the start of the Games.
“Far from being able to stage two Games on two continents at the same time, as they recklessly boasted, G4S could not even stage one,” said Keith Vaz, chairman of the influential Home Affairs Committee.
The report also said G4S should be put on a government blacklist, jeopardising its chances of winning core government.
G4S’ view on whether the company can still win prison and police contracts with Buckles at the helm is likely to be the main factor determining his fate.
After the report was published, G4S accepted responsibility for its failure to deliver in full on the security contract. However, it reaffirmed its right to the £57m management fee, which the report called for it to return, saying it related to set-up costs.