Wilce cited over $100m blow-out

Stephen Wilce. Photo / Natalie Slade

Disgraced former Defence Force top scientist Stephen Wilce ignored concerns about military projects which led to at least one cost blow-out of $100 million, it was alleged last night.

Scientist Iain MacKenzie, who worked with Mr Wilce at the Defence Technology Agency, told TV3's 60 Minutes programme that he quit after his concerns about several top-priority projects were ignored.

One of those was the upgrading of the Air Force's P3 Orion aircraft.

For security reasons, Mr MacKenzie would not go into detail, but said: "There were significant technical risks that I saw."

Asked if Mr Wilce was ever open to advice given to him, Mr Mackenzie said no. He was always very keen to just "go along".

As a result, the Orion upgrades went ahead - at a cost blow-out of almost $100 million.

Several investigations, including by the Government, are under way into Mr Wilce after allegations that he lied extensively in his CV to get the job of chief defence scientist.

Mr Wilce resigned last Thursday, a day after 60 Minutes highlighted the inconsistencies in his work-history claims.

He had told people that he had served in the Royal Marines and had worked for the British secret services MI5 and MI6.

He had also claimed that he had been in the British Olympic team, first as a swimmer and later as a bobsleigh representative.

This latter claim has been repeated several times and included the boast that he was close to the famous Jamaican bobsleigh team that inspired the movie Cool Runnings.

Another bizarre claim Mr Wilce made - this time to his first wife - was that he was a twin, but that his sibling had died.

His then wife, whom he married in 1979, told a 60 Minutes interviewer that she never believed him.

Birth and death records show that Mr Wilce never had a twin.