HOUSING president Deputy Terry Le Main is to be sued for defamation by the States tenant whose rent arrears he disclosed.
In an e-mail sent to several States Members in February last year he named the woman and described her as ‘not a fit person to be looking after children’ after she vacated her house.He said that there was ‘excrement everywhere’ and that it would cost Housing £20,000 to £30,000 to repair the damage.However, the JEP has obtained documents which show that the cost of repairs charged by Housing to the woman was just £273 and a Housing officer actually commended the tenant on the efforts she had made to clear up.
The house was also inspected the day after Deputy Le Main had visited it by officers from the Children’s Service, who found his worst allegations ‘unsubstantiated’.A Children’s Service report also said that there had never been any concern about the welfare of the woman’s children and commended her for seeking and taking their advice from time to time.After visiting the tenant’s property Deputy Le Main had telephoned the tenant’s mother and disclosed details of her rent arrears.
In doing so he breached the Data Protection Law for a second time.
The Data Protection Registrar is issuing an enforcement order which will entitle the tenant to claim compensation.But she does not plan to leave it there.
She told the JEP: ‘I feel I have not had justice.
When somebody has to pay out money it’s an acknowledgement of guilt that what they did was wrong.’Deputy Le Main has maintained throughout that his reason for disclosing the woman’s rent arrears was out of concern for the woman’s children.
Just two weeks ago he said: ‘There was not a door left on the place.
It was trashed from top to bottom.
There was excrement everywhere and the back garden had a foot of raw sewage in it.
It was horrendous and I had concerns about the children.
That’s why I did it – and that’s why I would do the same tomorrow.’Deputy Le Main was told yesterday that the JEP had documents which appeared to cast doubt on his version of events but he said he was not prepared to comment.On Tuesday he faces a series of questions on the subject which have been tabled by Deputy Geoff Southern, who has been a constant critic of his presidency.Deputy Southern said: ‘He has acted recklessly in jumping to conclusions which were totally false about one of his tenants.
I believe tenants all over the Island can have no trust or confidence in Housing whilst he remains president,’ he said.It is known that Deputy Le Main has photographs of the property taken during his inspection and there is speculation that he may take them into the Chamber on Tuesday to support his case.
Article posted on 30th January, 2004 - 12.00am
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