Senior MFS officer paid $198,000 to stay home during inquiry
High-ranking Metropolitan Fire Service officer Roy Thompson has been paid $198,000 since being suspended a year ago when an internal inquiry into his conduct was launched.
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A senior Metropolitan Fire Service officer has pocketed $198,000 for not turning up to work while he is the subject of an internal investigation.
Assistant chief Officer Roy Thompson has also had the use of a government-issued Toyota four-wheel drive since being directed not to attend his workplace – effectively suspended – last March.
MFS chief officer Michael Morgan has declined to reveal why the investigation into Mr Thompson has taken so long to be resolved, when it is likely to be concluded, or the cost of the lengthy probe.
Emergency Services Minister Vincent Tarzia, pictured, on Wednesday said it was “unacceptable and exasperating this process remains ongoing after almost a year and at the expense of South Australian taxpayers’’.
“A re-elected Marshall Liberal government will overhaul the disciplinary process and I’m calling on Peter Malinauskas to break ties with his union roots and offer bipartisan support,’’ he said.
The investigation was launched last March, after The Advertiser revealed Mr Thompson had been caught on tape laughing about not buying new fire appliances.
The conversation involved discussion about delaying the purchase of new fire units because it would undermine an industrial campaign for more resources currently being run by the United Firefighters Union.
Private investigator Bill Hayes, who runs IFB Investigations, was initially engaged to examine the reported conduct and several other matters, and provided chief officer Morgan with a comprehensive report.
Sources said Mr Hayes’ report recommended the junior officer be counselled over his actions, but that a full investigation be launched into Mr Thompson’s alleged conduct.
The matter was then referred to an external investigation agency, which determined there was no criminality involved, and the matter was referred back to the MFS for investigation and any subsequent disciplinary action that may arise.
Mr Morgan then engaged private investigator Andrew Hill to conduct an inquiry into Mr Thompson’s alleged conduct and other matters examined in the IFB Investigations report.
Mr Morgan declined to respond to a series of questions from The Advertiser concerning the investigation.
But he did confirm the “combined salary and vehicle amount’’ paid to Mr Thompson since he was suspended stood at $198,000.
Among the questions Mr Morgan did not respond to was one concerning a payment to IFB Investigations outlined in the 2020-21 MFS annual report.
The report lists a payment of $63,963 to IFB Investigations for “investigations of allegations’’.
Mr Hill declined to comment on whether he had finalised his investigation when contacted by The Advertiser on Wednesday.
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