Embattled city garbage hauler CSRA Waste Inc. is blaming Augusta Mayor Bob Young for the chain of events that led to the arrest of company President Kester Uzochukwu last month. Mr. Uzochukwu was charged with felony theft of services and is accused of dodging landfill tipping fees by passing off trash from private customers as the city's.

In two letters to the city attorney's office, CSRA Waste's attorney, Edward Tarver, said the mayor initiated the charges based on information he got from William Polonus, the owner of Augusta Disposal and Recycling, one of the companies CSRA Waste underbid to win the bulk of the city contracts.

The competitor has donated to Mr. Young's campaign and stands to gain financially if CSRA Waste is shut out of the bidding process when garbage service is expanded next year, one letter contends.

"Whether intended or not, the possibility appears that both law enforcement and governmental procedures and resources are being manipulated for purposes not consistent with applicable law," Mr. Tarver wrote.

Mr. Polonus said he could not comment on the matter. Mr. Young said Wednesday that past campaign contributions had nothing to do with his taking the information to the sheriff's office.

"It seems to me they're trying to deflect the focus from the fact that we have a city contractor who's been accused of defrauding the city," the mayor said.

CSRA Waste said it intends to submit a bid for disposal services in the future. Mr. Tarver called for an investigation of his client's treatment by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Department of Justice "or some other independent outside agency."

It isn't the first time the attorney has defended the company by calling for an investigation. After The Augusta Chronicle caught CSRA Waste workers on camera mixing recyclables with trash, he called for an investigation of all city trash haulers.

Mr. Uzochukwu first pointed the finger at The Chronicle in a November letter to the city, and then blamed his workers when he admitted they had trashed recyclables, in a later interview with the newspaper. Some Augusta commissioners have said the whole controversy reeks of a racist setup.

The sheriff's office has submitted results of its investigation of CSRA Waste to the district attorney's office, but Assistant District Attorney Bill Bowcutt said he is asking police to investigate further before it can be presented to a grand jury.

Reach Johnny Edwards at (706) 823-3225 or johnny.edwards@augustachronicle.com.