Timber scandal: First minister says no evidence of crime

Natural Resources sold timber without going to the open market

First Minister Carwyn Jones says he has seen no evidence that timber-sales scandal at Wales' largest quango should be referred to the police.

Natural Resources Wales (NRW) sold publicly-owned trees to companies without going to the open market.

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said the organisation had been accused of "deliberate malpractice".

But Mr Jones said NRW was "fit for purpose" despite there being "no rational explanation" for the sales.

The exchanges in First Minister's Questions came after a forestry industry representative told an assembly committee that the actions of NRW could not be "explained away by incompetence".

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The Wales Audit Office have criticised NRW's annual accounts three times over timber sales.

It was criticised in 2017 for a deal with BSW Timber to deal with diseased trees.

But despite questions raised over how the contracts were sold without a tender, NRW proceeded to do the same again with the same firm and two others.

Taxpayers lost out by at least £1m, according to NRW's own assessment.

The quango's chief executive Clare Pillman had blamed "incompetence, not corruption" for the debacle.

David Sulman alleged NRW's actions were "premeditated"

On Monday David Sulman of the UK Forest Products Association said of the second round of sales: "I certainly wouldn't call these actions mistakes or oversights as has been claimed.

"It seemed to us that these actions were premeditated, deliberate and made in the full knowledge of the facts."

He later added: "We really cannot believe that the actions we've seen, and the consequences that we've seen, can simply be explained away by incompetence.

"The word we would use is expediency, but certainly not incompetence."

Mr Price, quoting Mr Sulman, told the Senedd that the industry body was "alleging dishonesty, and deliberate malpractice by a public authority."

But Mr Jones said: "I've seen no evidence that suggests the matter should be referred to the police.

Mr Jones said if there was evidence of criminal activity "then further action may need to be taken".

'The public are calling for heads to roll'

Earlier, Welsh Conservative assembly leader Paul Davies said: "The public are calling for heads to roll. We need accountability."

Mr Davies said NRW was responsible for a "litany" of failings and its finances were a "complete mess".

Mr Jones told Mr Davies the former chairman Diane McCrae has gone, and the organisation had a new chief executive.

He added the personnel in place as when the timber contracts were dealt with were no longer at the organisation.

NRW declined to comment.

Ms Pillman said in August she was committed "to ensuring this never happens again", and has commissioned "independent experts to get under the skin of these findings".