Orkney Council has confirmed that an inquiry is now under way into the purchase of a ferry bought by them to cover the Papa Westray to Westray route.
The Nordic Sea arrived in Orkney from Norway in April 2020 as a replacement for the nearly 50-year-old Golden Mariana.
The new vessel cost over £1.5m – half of which was paid for through the Scottish Government.
Hundreds of thousands more was needed to refit the vessel to meet UK safety classifications.
On its inaugural, passenger-carrying journey between Westray and Papa Westray, on December 3, it sustained damage.
It was hoped that the ferry would soon be back in action. But with further problems, there are now concerns that the ship may simply not be fit for Orkney waters.
Councillor asks for end to speculation around Orkney council’s purchase of ferry
With calls for an investigation into the purchase of the vessel, the process got under way this week.
Orkney Council says the investigation will cover both the procurement process for the ferry and the governance arrangements. The results will be reported to a future meeting of the council’s Monitoring and Audit Committee.
Councillor John Ross Scott has been leading the calls for the internal audit investigation to take place.
He said: “All I want is the truth and evidence that all is well. The purchase of the Nordic Sea, rightly or wrongly, has engendered enough bad publicity for the council and an in-depth review of what happened will clear the air and ensure we learn from any mistakes.
“I am not saying that anyone was wrong or that the purchase was in any way underhand I just want the truth so all the speculation can stop.”
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