Investigation into whistleblower claims
20 October 2025
An external investigation into claims made under the SKAO's Whistleblower Policy has now concluded, with none of the allegations upheld. The final report has been provided to SKAO Council Chair Dr Filippo Zerbi. A statement from Dr Zerbi is published below.
STATEMENT OF DR FILIPPO ZERBI, SKAO COUNCIL CHAIROn 17 March 2025 I received a complaint from an SKAO employee, submitted in accordance with SKAO’s Whistleblower policy in my capacity as Chair of the SKAO Council. The SKAO does not tolerate any form of malpractice or illegal activity and is committed to creating a safe, fair, and honest working environment. As such, I asked an external company, called Peninsula UK, to conduct an initial review of the allegations and to provide me with a preliminary assessment of the material. While the preliminary assessment did not raise specific cause for concern, due to the nature of the allegations, I deemed it appropriate to instruct, in my personal capacity, the UK office of the international law firm, Squire Patton Boggs (‘SPB’), to complete an external investigation into the complaint. This was done on 3 July 2025. SPB is a renowned international law firm, regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), The SRA sets the highest standard of honesty, integrity and independence on those it regulates. Since the SKAO is a client of SPB for other matters, strict barriers between SPB teams were put in place to ensure full impartiality of the process, as is common practice. SPB provided its final report to me on 10 October 2025. The report found that none of the allegations were upheld, and that the whistleblower fundamentally misunderstood accepted financial and accounting practices. The investigation was conducted by the SPB Government Investigations and White Collar team. They were supported by an ex-Partner of KPMG, who is an experienced Chair, Non-Executive Director and an Audit and Risk Committee Chair for numerous financial organisations. That individual has also been a non-executive director and board trustee for not-for-profit organisations within the UK. SPB was given unrestricted access to all SKAO material and resources, was encouraged to speak to any employee that they wanted in a confidential manner, and to instruct any experts that they felt necessary to assist the investigation. SPB have confirmed to me that the findings in the final report are their findings and their findings alone. The report made findings of fact in respect of four allegations. The allegations were:
SPB found that: a. Allegations of financial mismanagement, or - as alleged by the complainant - that ‘…balance sheets have revealed significant concerns regarding the management of intergovernmental funds’, are unfounded. b. By examining requested documentation, internal records, and relevant communications, as well as interviewing key SKAO personnel, there is no credible evidence to support any of the Allegations. c. The Allegations rely heavily on speculation, lack factual support and at times are repetitive. d. There appears to be a fundamental misunderstanding by the Complainant of:
The SPB report also states that the complaints do not justify any further investigation or action. Engagement with the Complainant To ensure the investigation was conducted in an open and transparent manner, SPB shared the investigation terms of reference with the complainant and asked that the complainant provide any comments that they may have had. The complainant chose not to provide such comments. As part of the investigation, although not required by the SKAO Whistleblower policy, SPB was instructed to consider all the documents that the complainant provided, including those submitted after the initial complaint. SPB requested a meeting with the complainant so that the documents could be discussed and further clarification could be obtained, as a large number of the allegations were either unparticularised or unsubstantiated. The complainant chose not to speak with SPB. Following submission of the report, to ensure the investigation continued to be conducted in an open and transparent way, I asked SPB to speak with the complainant and to relay their findings. At the time of writing this statement, the complainant has not responded to SPB’s request for a meeting. Throughout this process, all involved parties worked to keep the complainant's identity confidential. To the best of my knowledge, any information that may have entered the public domain regarding the complainant, the content of the complaint, or the individuals referenced within it, appears to have originated from disclosures made by the complainant themselves. For clarity, although the content of the report has been shared in its entirety with all members of the SKAO Council and Finance Committee - so that they are aware that these allegations were treated seriously and investigated thoroughly, and found to be without substance -, the complainant has not been identified to either body. I am aware of recent emails from the complainant to members of the SKAO community raising complaints directly with them. In line with the findings of the report, noting that there is no credible evidence to support the complaints, and noting the complainant refused to engage with the investigation, there will be no further investigation of this matter. The SKAO will continue to be an organisation where everyone is able to raise concerns, and all such concerns will continue to be investigated thoroughly, appropriately and fairly. As Chair of the SKAO Council, I want to highlight how this case demonstrated the strength of the SKAO as an organisation and its policies. The matter has been addressed fairly and externally, following best practice. SKAO staff and stakeholders must feel confident that the handling of business in the Observatory is transparent and overseen at all levels. The SKAO remains committed to listening to its community and ensuring that genuine concerns are always addressed with integrity, care, and professionalism. |
SKAO statement: 29 August 2025
As part of our commitment to transparency and accountability, and to complement our public statement of 23 August 2025 (published under this Q&A), we are publishing below the responses provided by the SKAO to media enquiries. These responses reflect our position on the matters raised and offer additional context regarding our governance processes, financial management, and project delivery. We trust this will help clarify key issues and reaffirm confidence in the integrity of the organisation.
1. Whistleblower allegations and governance processes
Q: What action has the SKAO taken in response to the disclosure made under the Whistleblower Policy?
The SKAO is aware that one or more disclosures have been made under the Observatory’s Whistleblower Policy to the Chair of the SKAO Council. In line with our established governance processes, an independent external investigation has been initiated. The SKAO has been actively supporting this investigation.
Q: Have proper processes been followed regarding these claims?
Yes. The SKAO is proud to have a robust Whistleblower Policy in place, which ensures that allegations are treated seriously and investigated appropriately. This framework reflects our commitment to transparency, integrity, and accountability.
2. Financial management and investment oversight
Q: Was the SKAO Council made aware of investments in money market funds, including JP Morgan, Aviva, and CCLA?
Yes. In accordance with SKAO’s internal processes, the SKAO Leadership provides regular treasury reports to the SKAO Finance Committee —a delegated governance body of the Council comprising financial expert representatives from across the SKAO member states— which include full details of investment accounts, including money market funds held with JP Morgan, Aviva, and CCLA.
Q: How does the SKAO respond to claims suggesting up to £12 million was lost due to these investments?
No capital loss has been incurred in these investment holdings. Money market funds are inherently low-risk, highly liquid instruments and were selected for these characteristics. Any reduction in investment balances reflects withdrawals made to support SKAO’s normal operational needs, such as supplier payments and staff salaries.
Q: Has the SKAO investigated allegations that financial statements were manipulated to conceal losses, including through foreign exchange entries or use of contingency funds?
We reiterate that no capital losses have occurred. The SKAO adheres to recognised financial best practices. Our financial activities are subject to both rigorous internal reviews and independent external audits, which are reported to the Finance Committee and Council. No adverse audit findings of note have been reported.
3. Project scope, schedule, and financial impact
Q: Have there been any changes to the scope or schedule of SKA-Low or SKA-Mid due to financial pressures?
The scope and schedule of the SKA telescopes are continuously reviewed, as is standard for projects of this scale and complexity. Any recent schedule updates were driven by programmatic, not financial, reasons, and have been shared transparently with the Council and the scientific community at our recent science meeting in June.
4. Power supply and sustainability at SKA-Low
Q: Is the SKAO spending over $1M a year on diesel for SKA-Low, and why has no solar plant yet been built?
Temporary diesel generators are currently being used to support construction and commissioning activities at SKA-Low. This is a planned and transitional solution while the first phase of a permanent, radio-quiet power station is completed. That station will feature a significant proportion of renewable energy —most likely solar PV— as part of SKAO’s firm sustainability commitments. The diesel generators are expected to be in use between September 2025 and May 2026, with an anticipated diesel cost of approximately $1M over that period.
Q: How is power currently being provided to the central processing plant at SKA-Low?
Only around 1% of the planned antennas at SKA-Low are currently active. Power is temporarily supplied via diesel while a staged procurement process is underway. This will culminate in a long-term agreement with an Independent Power Provider to design, build, and operate a hybrid power station with a high penetration of solar PV and substantial battery storage. A similar approach is being followed at SKA-Mid in South Africa.
Q: Has a tender been awarded for the second phase of the SKA-Low Central Power Station, and when will the solar component be operational?
A tender has not yet been awarded. A call for expressions of interest has been issued, and responses are due shortly. A full tender process will follow. The solar-based permanent plant is expected to be operational by late 2028. Phase 1 of the power station will operate from May 2026 and will later be integrated with a larger Phase 2 to form the final hybrid system.
5. European Commission grant – IN-SKA Project
Q: Why did the European Commission pay only half of a €5 million Horizon 2020 grant, and why were some costs deemed ineligible?
This relates to the “IN-SKA” project, which was led by the SKA Organisation —a UK-registered company and the predecessor to the SKAO. The project successfully delivered design work for infrastructure and power systems for the SKA telescopes in Australia and South Africa, forming the basis for ongoing construction (more info here).
The project was fully and transparently overseen by the various stakeholders and through the Members of the SKA Organisation, including its Finance Committee and Board of Directors. As is common in complex projects, some costs were later deemed ineligible, but these were modest and the matter was amicably resolved with the European Commission, in full transparency and with the approval of the organisation’s Finance Committee and Board.
SKAO statement: 23 August 2025
The SKAO has been aware for some time of a range of allegations raised by an employee, including disclosures made under the Observatory’s Whistleblower Policy, some of which are the subject of an article today in The Guardian Australia. The SKAO has been dealing with these issues respectfully, ethically, and in accordance with its policies and procedures. At all times the SKAO has prioritised the privacy, confidentiality, and the welfare of those concerned.
The SKAO is assisting an independent, external investigation into the whistleblower allegations.
We are confident that the SKAO is a well-governed project that follows recognised best practice, and its financial activities and reports are subject to rigorous internal audits and independent external audits. The Observatory stands by its robust policies and procedures that guide the activities of the Observatory and of its staff and ensure the highest standards of behaviour.
The SKA project is a massive undertaking to deliver the world’s two largest and most complex radio telescopes, and the scope, schedule and all financial matters are under constant review. The SKAO Council, which includes representatives of all the countries involved in the SKAO, has oversight of all such issues.