Letter: Andersen's role in the Wessex saga: From Mr KEITH BURGESS

Sir: Your newspaper is to be commended for the zeal with which it has pursued the interests of the taxpayer in the Wessex saga, however, at times, your reporting of my firm's involvement has been less than objective. From the outset, we have been at pains to be entirely open about our role. We have answered all questions and provided every piece of information requested of us. Despite this, you have continued to imply wrong doing on our part where there was none; concealment where there was complete openness; self-interest where there was objectivity.

As the world's largest, and arguably most successful, management consultancy, we understand our dealings will be analysed in detail and reported at length. That said, the bias against us which your newspaper has shown in reporting upon the Wessex project, culminating in a number of gratuitous comments (10 December), leads me to doubt the purity of your motives. In relation to this matter, our stance has been consistent. We discharged our obligations and delivered the systems required of us. We were objective and independent. R U?

Yours faithfully,

KEITH BURGESS

Managing Partner

Andersen Consulting

London, WC2

14 December