AN accountant who could unlock the mystery over the missing 36 Ministry of Health and Medical Services water tanks is being moved from his job in an internal staff shake-up, sources have revealed.

Investigations into the tanks, missing since April this year, have narrowed its focus to two people – the accountant and a former programme manager, who has now joined the Guadalcanal Provincial government.

“The accountant and the former programme manager hold the key. They know who picked up the water tanks from the supplier, Island Tank Ltd,” the sources close to the investigation told Island Sun yesterday.

“Both people handled the payments from last year. As a matter of fact, there were two cheques for the payment of the water tanks. Island Tank Ltd has confirmed having received the two cheques,” one source said.

“It’s all looking like an inside job and the quickest way to unravel the mystery is for police to interview these two people – the accountant and this former programme manager.

“They hold the key to solving the mystery.”

The 36 rota mould water tanks – in 1,000 to 2,000 litre capacity – were bought for communities in Renbel and Guadalcanal Provinces. RWSAS bought them for more than $190,000.

In their investigations, officials of the Rural Water Supply and Sanitation programme were understood to have checked all records relating to orders and purchases of water tanks from Island Tank Ltd.

They also checked records of water tank purchases by Members of Parliament at the Ministry of Rural Development.

“There was no record of large payments by Members of Parliament in the records inspected, except those ordered and paid for by RWSAS,” the source said.

They also found that the tanks were collected over a month in sets of one, sometimes two and usually at night.

One areas of suspicion is that whoever collected the water tanks had sold them off to someone who has the money to buy in bulk.

“Whoever they are, they could sell them off for a $100,000 as a discount,” one source said yesterday.

“But whoever took them, the only two people who could solve the mystery for us are the accountant, who for some unknown reasons is being transferred from his job and this former programme manager.

“Police should interview them,” the source said.