From Michael Green.
JUST as it appeared that things could not get any worse we are now informed that, despite being e-mailed valid information by Deputy Power, Senator Walker tended to believe Harcourt’s version of events rather that that supplied by a fellow Member of the States.

We are further informed that on receipt of the e-mail Senator Walker approached Harcourt for a response. With almost childlike naivety he apparently accepted Harcourt’s response that there was no lawsuit pending without further ado, despite information to the contrary provided by way of the States Member’s e-mail.

This appears to indicate that Senator Walker is protecting the interests of Harcourt over and above that of the interests of the public who elected him into office. We are also told that no fewer than four ministers and a senior civil servant received the same e-mailed information and yet not one of those individuals chose to act on it.

Then we are informed that Senator Ozouf, as one of the gang of four, initially claimed that he could not remember seeing the e-mail of 16 May sent several weeks before the debate.

After being informed that Senator Walker had admitted receipt of the same e-mail he made a quick U-turn by admitting that he had indeed received a copy.

Incredibly, he then decides to complain that his Blackberry does not allow him to open attachments. Now that is what I call incredible. And what a coincidence.

Were the contents of the e-mail never mentioned by any of the recipients as a topic of conversation with each other in the days or weeks prior to the States debate?

Why did those ministers, who allegedly act in the interests of the electorate, remain silent in the face of potentially damaging information even to the point of blatantly voting in favour of the deal with Harcourt, despite the knowledge they almost exclusively held between them and who were determined to keep that information from the public domain? Had they received orders to do so from the Chief Minister?

Why did Senator Walker not alert the States Assembly of the Las Vegas lawsuit? It was not too late. Did Senator Walker and his cronies intend to prevent the Las Vegas lawsuit from ever becoming local knowledge knowing full well that the ensueing outcry may not be in Harcourt’s best interests?

And just as importantly, if it wasn’t for the integrity and determination of Deputy Baudains in his attempts to reveal all to the States Assembly, the public may never have become aware of the background to Harcourt’s dealings in the United States.
13 Bas du Mont,
Pier Road,
St Helier.