Forney denies link to chemical death rumours, confirms theft incident involving staff

July 8, 2025 10:23 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook

By Doddy Morris.

The Managing Director of Forney Enterprises, Joshua Fordham, has rejected recent speculation on social media linking the company to the death of two boys and others reportedly in comas, calling the information inaccurate and misleading.

Speaking to the Daily Post yesterday, Mr. Fordham confirmed that a theft incident occurred at a Forney work site on Friday, 27 June, involving a group of employees who unlawfully removed chemicals from the premises.

 “The chemicals were not consumed on-site but were decanted into a water bottle during the theft and taken off the property,” Mr. Fordham explained. “The group acted against direct instructions from their supervisor, who had clearly advised that no materials are to be removed from Forney premises without authorisation.”

Mr. Fordham said that the young man who passed away on Tuesday, 1 July, had allegedly been consuming other substances over the weekend.

The other employees involved in the incident have since returned to work.

Mr. Fordham also clarified that there was no authorised spokesperson from Forney as cited in an earlier Daily Post article. While the Daily Post did speak to a staff member, that individual was not authorised to speak on behalf of the company.

Additionally, the Vanuatu Police Force’s Facebook post clarified that there were no reports of two deaths or three people in a coma.

Forney maintains a zero-tolerance policy on theft, drug, and alcohol use at all worksites. All employees involved in the incident have since been terminated for theft.