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A senior manager at the Hinkley nuclear power plant accepted bribes such as an £11,000 quad bike to funnel extra work to a British engineering firm, an employment tribunal has heard.
Ashley Daniels was investigated by Hinkley’s owner, EDF, after he was given gifts such as £2,000 hospitality tickets for a boxing match and a refill for his Montblanc fountain pen, the tribunal in Bristol heard.
The hearing was told Daniels ensured more work was “directed” to a firm specialising in heavy lifting so that it could continue operating at the Somerset site.
The Guardian understands Daniels was dismissed by EDF.
The details have emerged in the judgment of a tribunal claim brought by an engineer called Garrick Nisbet, who sued his employer, Notus Heavy Lift Solutions – a subcontractor at Hinkley Point C – for unfair dismissal.
Hinkley Point C will be the first nuclear power station to be built in the UK for more than 30 years and is reported to have a price tag of up to £35bn. The plant, which will generate low-carbon electricity and power about 6m homes, is expected to be operational sometime between 2029 and 2031. About 15,000 people are expected to work on the construction at its peak.
Nisbet, a project director, was sacked for gross misconduct by Notus after he gave Daniels a quad bike to get more work out of him, the hearing in Bristol was told.
Nisbet told the tribunal that Daniels was a “greedy little toad” and was “hard to say no to”.
It was heard Nisbet and other senior staff at Notus had bribed Daniels, who had been appointed as head of lifting and temporary works at Hinkley by EDF. Daniels was bribed to “ensure that work was directed their way”, it was heard.
Nisbet was also caught up in allegations he bribed Daniels with tickets to a boxing event in London and with a refill for his Montblanc pen. He argued he had nothing to do with the boxing invitation and said the refill was a spare that he got for himself.
He also argued that his “favours” were simply lunches, coffee and biscuits. The tribunal found he could not provide an “innocent” explanation for the quad bike, however.
A judge found that Nisbet was involved in the bribery for more than two years before he and another colleague were sacked by Notus at the start of 2023.
Daniels was “under investigation” by EDF and HPC, the tribunal heard.
Nisbet told the tribunal he “did not accept that the evidence indicated that he was clearly involved”. He said he was “exasperated” by Daniels, adding: “He was known as asking for favours, was self-entitled and greedy, was cheeky and a greedy little toad.”
Nisbet won a claim of unfair dismissal as the employment judge Colm O’Rourke found his dismissal had been pre-decided and did not go through a proper process. But Judge O’Rourke said Nisbet did not deserve compensation.
He said: “While [Notus] clearly had not followed a proper procedure and presented sham correspondence to [Mr Nisbet], [Notus] witnesses readily admitted that … they felt that they had no option but to proceed as they did.
“In contrast, [Mr Nisbet] was on occasions evasive and self-serving in his evidence.
“While [he] may have been able to explain away some of the allegations against him, or challenged the level of seriousness of them (the pen refill, for example) … the core allegation against him, in relation to the quad bike, which has been forensically examined in this hearing, still remains incapable of an innocent explanation.
“I conclude, therefore that the following of a fair disciplinary procedure would, in any event, have made no difference to the outcome of this case, [Mr Nisbet’s] summary dismissal for gross misconduct and that therefore no compensation is awardable to [him].”
“It is clear from the evidence that [Mr Nisbet] was, on the balance of probabilities, complicit in bribery and corruption involving Mr Daniels, over a two-year plus period and thus engaged in culpable behaviour.”
Daniels declined to comment.
A spokesperson for Hinkley Point C said: “The project sets and enforces high standards for all employees, contractors and suppliers and will rigorously investigate and take action over inappropriate conduct.”
