MIDWEST CITY, Okla. – A new report says the private housing landlord at Tinker Air Force Base falsified maintenance records, “helping it secure incentive fees as families awaited repairs.”
According to Reuters, a manager confessed to falsifying maintenance records for years.
The investigation found two sets of reports were kept, one set detailing quick response times given to the Air Force. The other was showing what was really happening.
Robert Whittington, manager of Balfour Beatty, Tinker’s contractor, told Reuters he doctored work orders at the direction of his superiors and “pressured staff to close out unfinished work orders, so that late responses would not count against the company.”
Reuters found 65 other cases where Balfour Beatty employees lied about repairs.
In May, officials at Tinker Air Force Base addressed the living conditions at base housing. They also promised to make all the homes safe.
Col. Kenyon Bell said mold, delinquent work orders and pest control problems are some of the issues plaguing about 20 percent of the 600 homes on base.
All of the homes are privatized and, after a 100 percent review, Balfour Beatty put a plan in place and in motion.
Bell told News 4 on May 6 at the time, the list was about 80 percent complete.
Balfour Beatty says it has cooperated with inquiries by the Air Force and other government agencies.
“As an organization, BBC has not and does not condone the falsification of records in any way,” the company said in a statement.