DEAL PROBE BOSS QUITS.

Byline: MAGGIE BARRY

THE chairman of Highlands and Islands Enterprise yesterday quit his consultancy firm which controversially won almost pounds 150,000 in contracts from the agency.

But defiant HIE chief Willy Roe claimed he would carry on in his role with the enterprise agency despite an internal investigation into the deals.

HIE's report into its contracts with Rocket Science, the business consultancy Mr Roe founded and also chaired until yesterday, delivered a number of criticisms about how contracts were dealt with - but exonerated Mr Roe of any conflict of interest.

Rocket Science had repaid pounds 6,864 after an error was discovered in a report and this prompted the investigation.

Carried out on the instruction of HIE chief executive Sandy Cumming after a row erupted over the deals, the report revealed almost pounds 32,000 of the payments for work by the consultants had "no advance justification recorded" for using Rocket Science.

Announcing his resignation from Rocket Science, Mr Roe said he wanted to separate his public duties with the HIE from his private affairs.

He added: "The right thing to do is to set the highest possible standard so there can be no suggestion in the future of a perception of a conflict of interest."

CAPTION(S):

CONTROVERSY Roe