Wilson Security accused of breaching agreement in hotel quarantine fiasco

Wilson Security in Victoria, who were contracted to provide guards for Melbourne’s hotel quarantine program, had potentially breached its agreement with the Victorian government.

This came to light as an email surfaced advising that Wilsons had failed to inform at least one of its subcontractors of its obligations.

Wilson Security attempted to hide this fact by requesting the subcontractor backdate documents for the Government. This request was made nine weeks after the subcontractor had hired guards to work in a quarantine hotel.

Gavin Silbert, Victoria's former chief crown prosecutor, has reviewed the emails. 

"It was an attempt to cover up, effectively, by Wilson," he told 7.30.

Three private security companies were engaged in March by the Victorian Government, to undertake the hotel quarantine process. MSS, Unified and Wilson Security, were contracted to provide hundreds of guards for this purpose.

7.30 obtained documents proving that under the Government's agreement with Wilson, subcontracting was permitted. However, Wilsons were supposed to relay its obligations of training and infection control to every subcontractor.

"They must agree to the same obligations and that's got to be consented to prior to the subcontracting," Mr Silbert said.

An inquiry into the hotel quarantine program began this week. 

Wilson sent the email to the subcontractor within hours of the Victorian government announcing the inquiry on July 2.

"Wilson is asking the subcontractor on the 2nd of July to sign an acknowledgement that they were aware of the obligations as at the 30th of April," Mr Silbert said.

"The request was to backdate the acknowledgement by the subcontractor that they were aware, as at the 30th of April, of the obligations that were being subcontracted to them.

"The subcontractor refused to sign such an undertaking and in an email to Wilson said that they could not sign it because they were simply not aware of the obligations and the conditions that they were bound by as at the 30th of April, and that they couldn't backdate from the 2nd of July."

Mr Silbert said this was not just a reflection on Wilson but on the Victorian government too.

"It also suggests a sloppiness on the part of the Victorian Government, not having insisted on seeing written consents and agreements to be bound by the agreement by the subcontractor prior to consenting to the subcontract being entered into," he said.

Wilson provided a statement to 7.30 saying that all contractors had agreements in place before starting to work on the hotel quarantine program and were aware of their obligations and duties.

Whilst MSS and Unified Security had multiple infected guards, Wilson had no positive cases.

In any case, 7.30 was provided WhatsApp messages revealing that the Victorian Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) had launched an investigation after a guard was caught chatting to a guest through an open door.

Another message raising concerns that guards were breaching isolation rules and associating with guests at "a hotel project".

7.30 was told by Wilson that they "identified and acted swiftly in addressing all matters arising during the program to ultimately contain the spread of COVID-19".

Subcontractors contacted by 7.30 refused to comment on whether they were requested to backdate any documents.

Irit Jackson, 18^th August 2020