Executive Dionne Knight allegedy received payments from West Ham United

The Olympic Park Legacy Company (OPLC) has appointed a top auditor to investigate allegations made against its executive Dionne Knight.

Knight is alleged to have received secret payments from West Ham United before the OPLC awarded the east end football club the Olympic stadium in preference to a rival bid from Tottenham Hotspur Football Club.

The OPLC, which suspended Knight last week, said auditors Moore Stephens will investigate the “nature of the consultancy work that Dionne Knight undertook without our knowledge or permission”.

The OPLC added: “An independent barrister will be instructed to conduct the employment elements of this investigation. We will communicate the outcome of both investigations when the work is complete. We remain confident that the integrity of our processes has not been compromised.”

Knight is understood to have received more than £20,000 for carrying out paid consultancy work for West Ham during the bidding process for the stadium.
The work was related to the procurement process for the £95m construction contract required to convert the stadium after the 2012 games.

It has also emerged that Knight is in a relationship with West Ham executive Ian Tompkins who was involved in the Olympic stadium bid.

Tompkins is understood to have been suspended by West Ham pending the outcome of its own internal review.