Out of control
Wednesday 14th July 2010, 3:00PM BST.
The investigation attracted world-wide attention early in 2008
Damning reports on the way the historical abuse inquiry was managed and financed are published today.
A UK police force has highlighted huge failures and ‘excessive and inappropriate’ spending during the investigation which centred on the former children’s home at Haut de la Garenne.
• Read full reports and analysis in today’s Jersey Evening Post
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I am sure this does not come as a great surpise to the majority.Mr Harper was allowed to conduct the inquiry without audit or proper procedural review.The ultimate responsibilty however lies with the Chief Officer Mr Graham Power.At times the sensational manner in which information was released and the investigation was handled has done considerable damage to the islands reputation.Notwithstanding the unchecked expenditure which has cost the island millions.Sadly the most damaging aspect is the effect it has had on certain peoples lives.I hope this never occurs again and our government are far wiser in their appointments of senior Police officers in the future.
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These reports are so overwhelming that the silly people who still believe it was all a cover up will need to get their heads examining.
All of it is poor and that sick e-mail joke of is pure evil. Just imagine what the critics would do if a States member was found out for sending a joke e-mail on such a sensitive issue at the time like Power did?
A retirement ending for all the wrong reasons now and if he thinks he was exhonerated then he must be bonkers.
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Tonights Headline reads “Official Verdict”, but its not, as there has been NO trial, it’s the “Official Accusation”.
It really does the JEP no credit to be so one-sided when you can pop along to Channel TV listen to 10 minutes of a GP interview, which I found very powerfull and telling, and I wasn’t a GP fan.
This smells from top to bottom as an establishment stich up. Yes there has been mistakes, but ministers in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.
These costs are bad, but they were spent in the pursuit of criminals and are no where near as much as that gambled on the stock-market or wasted on Euro-Contracts.
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Did not Mr Frank Walker,,,state,that this investigation would have an open cq book.so how on earth can Mr Harper be blamed.???????
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The questions that I have are, how come senior officers from the so called, ‘National Police Improvement Agency’ (N.P.I.A.) reportedly gave the thumbs up to Mr. Harper’s investigation? Doesn’t the Wiltshire Constabulary report conflict with the N.P.I.A.’s views?
You know what they say about experts – drips that come out under pressure. Or people that no more and more about less and less.
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A man quite simply, in the twilight of his career, looking to capitalise and make a name for himself! This is a sad indictment of today’s society where we crave the next tickertape ‘Breaking News’ item. From the outset there were inconsistencies in the reports coming out from the national media – which were lapped up and totally sensationalised. Mr Harper hang your head in shame!
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How can the public have a say we do not have the full facts just one side of the story thats been edited rewritten and edited again to prove a case at a cost £1.500.000 down the drain. But sorry this is Jersey and the Minister is right how could he possibly be wrong and want to cover something up just not dun in this cesspit.
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Well, well – we use Mr Power as a scapegoat for the cover-up of HdelaG, yet what has happened in regard to the person/people who approved this spending? Furthermore, what about suspending Terry Le Sueur regarding the Euro millions debacle, the Treasury Minister who did not have the ‘nous’ to sell off BP shares at onset of the oil spill disaster as others did, the squandering of OUR money on more frivolous matters than the serious matter of a child abuse enquiry. Sorry Mr Le Marquand, I personally do not want your apology. It means nothing. You should be ashamed for apologising for what has happened to the Island’s reputation before apologising to abuse survivors.
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If the Chief Officer for Home Affairs is in charge of the accounting then is it time for another ‘neutral act’?
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Stitched up without a trial.
nit-picking on the money spent on hotels etc.
Suspended for nearly two years for exactly what?
He didn,t waste the money the establishment did by their actions.
What about the victims?
Why have they been ignored once again?
Is this the final solution?
Bury it lest it surfaces again to their embarrassment.
The Jersey way—-indeed.
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7
Too true.
Grasping at straws now to save face.
All their bothered about is how much money it cost,rich coming from them when they are out of control with the money they have wasted.
Why don,t they suspend the two for their blunders which cost the Islands taxpayers dearly,it seemm one law for them and another for us.
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Could Ian Le Marquand please explain why these reports required approximately 70% of their content to be removed before public release?
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Well done.. you saw us coming a mile off. Now take your money and go Harper and take Power with you.
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Given the wave of public vitriol that erupted at the time the so called ‘human remains ‘ were found at HDLG I can only imagine what the reaction would have been had Frank Walker put a limit on the amount of money made available to the investigation. I don’t see he had any choice but to offer as much support as the island could give. Even this wasn’t enough, with the likes of Syvret on his case.
That Harper et al decided to spend our money on Michelin starred restaurants and all manner of unnecessary entertainments is hardly Walker’s fault (though the lack of an appropriate Police Authority keeping an eye on this is something for which the States must accept responsibility.)
WB
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2 imported Uk officers at the top of their game?more like 2 hasbeens out of touch with modern policing and investigation techniques. No jerseybean officers involved. Or allowed to be involved? Too much reliance on imported “talent” at the expense of locally available and qualified sios. Complete political failure at the top level. Who was supervising power? Ogley? Who has asked him any questions? Why didn’t any of the imported Uk team or deputy sio challenge Harper? Or raise their concerns and blow the whistle? Another fine mess!! Laurel and Harper oops hardy!
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Jersey bean – I also recall Frank Walker stating that the Police would receive whatever resources they required to complete the investigation and bring those responsible to justice and that there would be no political interference. At least he was true to his word and indicates that in this he was acting with honesty and integrity. Not so for Harper who seems to have taken this to mean let’s have a jolly with no questions asked, at the expense of not only the tax payer but also the genuine victims who also appear to be the butt of Power’s sick jokes.
And remember it was Power and his political friends who have demanded that this report was published – For deputy Pitman Groundhog day has arrived at last.
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No6,or even a man with no axe to grind , an honest policeman just doing his job, looking foreward to his retirement, then,a fight with one of the most corrupt governments you can imagine. Hope you don’t give up the fight Mr Power, best wishes to your family.
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(2) “Establishment stich up”??
By the Wiltshire constabulary? A bit far fetched don’t you think.
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Well done Graham Power for speaking out. Never given a full opportunity to put his side of the story except in a 62,000-word submission to Wiltshire police, which has not been made public. If there was a boat called justice it would have capsized !
We now have an idea of what one million pounds of taxpayers money and lots of political clout can buy you. Lets see a full right to reply also given. Nothing else will do.
Justice is supposed to be even handed, and to suspend a senior person like a police chief, he must have committed a very serious offence, and yet there are no disciplinary charges. You are joking, that cannot be right
We notice no suspension for Mike Pollard after the two appalling reports on his watch. One by Verita underlines his dismal management of the general hospital, and the other serious case review of the 12 year old boy sent back for over a decade to an abusive family when several states departments including Mike Pollards were monitoring him.
We see no suspension for the treasurer for not hedging, and losing up to £10 million on Euro exchange loss. We see no suspension for executives at TTS although there are four cases of toxic contamination at La Colette two of them being treated as criminal.
As a taxpayer and reasonable person, I want to see the full report and the full reply. Chief of Police G. Power has authorised the media use of his submission, now Minister Le Marquand, publish the full report ( like Verita ) by Wiltshire, word for word the whole works.
We ( people of Jersey )paid for it Minister Le Marquand, or could it be we are all to dam stupid to be trusted to read it and understand the words? Of course the other side of the coin says yet another States cover up of incompetence but not by the Police Chief Power.
Justice is never one sided, unless this is a new Jersey law.
Davey
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At least we seen a couple of convictions for this money. What about the Curtis Warren farce? Over £8million for what started off to be £650,000 worth of cannabis. No drugs, they can’t find his money, over £8million on nothing. Whole judicial system is a farce
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Absolutely appalling and Matt,no 14 I agree with you.Politicians who are responsible for the governing of Jersey side step,where was Powers line manager Ogley in all this and also the role of Ian Black and the accounting officers of the States of Jersey.Joined up government me thinks not.! More like individuals who look after number one.
In relation to Ogley,who was imported in by Walker ,why has no one challenged him or does he know too much about Yes Minister.
Sadly Jersey you are now a toxic island and with so many cover ups and incestous behaviour,its down hill all the way.God save you all and the victims of abuse.
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The supporters of Graham Power and Lenny Harper including some States Members are looking really foolish this week.
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If 70 % of the report is not being made public then how bad is that please tell me they have only released the minor stuff and kept the really serious stuff back. Also please explain to me how it costs a million quid for a police force to investigate another force.
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I am now wondering what sort of information that we are being fed, as this is the edited version of events. If it turns out it is just victims names that has been omitted from the report, then fine. But if we are being denied the true facts of the case, however small, then we are living in a censored controlled manipulated state. We must have all the facts otherwise we cannot trust our government.
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@Bella
‘Stitched up without a trial’
Not really; Power is free to go about his daily retired life with zero repercussions having had a year off work on full pay.
‘nit-picking on the money spent on hotels etc.’
Harper spent huge amounts of money in expensive restaurants. Our money. On one occasion he treated a journalist from the News of the World to dinner at a pricey celebrity hang-out. How exactly did this do anything to further the plight of the victims of the investigation in general? I am sure they enjoyed having their stories embellished and served up in a grotty rag-mag for the rest of the prurient world to feed upon.
‘Suspended for nearly two years for exactly what?
Gross incompetency.
‘He didn,t waste the money the establishment did by their actions.’
Certainly the ‘establishment’ should have been keeping a far tighter grip on things but Power was CHIEF of Police and is totally responsible for his own actions. By your argument the States are responsible for everything anyone under their employ does; which is nonsense. We are all sentient beings with the ability to make decisions.
‘What about the victims?
Why have they been ignored once again?’
A difficult question to answer and one beyond my remit to address. My sympathies to all affected by this sad affair.
WB
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Sorry ILM – This is just one side of the story and you have chosen the sensational parts; you are trying to condemn GP without holding a trial or allowing GP to respond. You of all people!
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I in no way shape or form support Mr.Power’s argument, but I find it funny that an out of control government who is spending money like there is no tomorrow is challenging an out of control ex chief of police who spend a lot of money…
There should be a small office within Jersey’s government who check on work done when any large amounts are spent to make sure they don’t go out of control. My two main points are the Haut de la Garenne enquiry and the road work being done on the avenue.
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Yes only one side of the story and what a damning one and the excuses so far from Power are just pathetic!
This is an open and shut case and anybody with half a brain can see that he has been caught with his pants down!
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If Power did submit a 62,000 word submission (Davey West #19)to the Wiltshire Police then he is totally at liberty now to publish that submission in his defence. To suggest that he has no opportunity to respond is errant nonsense. Publish and be damned Mr Power!
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If you give an open checque to mere mortals who lived in a culture of no responsibility or accountability..remember it was Frank Walkers pitiful gesture on national news as he proclaimed as though it were a good thing that money was no object,a crass response to such a serious and degrading history of child abuse….and the prideful manner it was done in indicated to me that he was desperate for the world not to judge us as a sordid grubby little place full of secrets and cover ups and all he did was blow money and prove all the assumptions…it was all abominable the whole thing…and has left a sour taste around the world ,and more for the attempts at cover up than the events themselves…serves us right for abandoning those kids along with any principles we may have had, a sort of pleas don’t find us disgusting and depraved as we try so hard to be posh and grandiose..sick.
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Alan, Bella, Davey et al…. in your support of the man and desire to find a cover up, what do you say about the sick email Power sent? Do you defend him, even though he has not come up with an excuse himself? As per Andy no.2 – I can imagine what your reaction would have been if one the ‘Establishment’ had sent an email like that at the time this was going on!!
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Why are all the GP supporters going on about his right to a trial? Nobody is suggesting he is criminal. The finding is that he was incompetent. If your boss thinks you are incompetent he calls you in and asks questions and then unless you have the answers you get fired.
That is what happened here. It has nothing to do with the events that happened at HDLG in the past. All it concerns is the investigation in 2008 and whether as Chief Officer GP acted properly and competently.
I seem to remember a lot of the people defending GP posting on other threads that Syvret’s blog must be accurate, because otherwise people would sue him for libel. Presumably, if GP (who has just pocketed several hundred thousand for being on holiday) feels he has been unfairly treated, he will sue. Otherwise, can we assume that the Wiltshire constabulary have hit the nail on the head? Or do different principles apply?
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So which large states projects do no have ‘excessive and inappropriate’ spending. It is the norm!
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#30 Namestealer – how on earth do you blame Mr Walker for this excessive spending at lavish hotels and restaurants? He charges people with the responsibility within the guidelines of the rules to lead an investigation. They broke the rules not Mr Frank Walker! You may have a personal vendetta against tis man, because clearly such an illogical argument is hilarious if it wasn’t so serious an accusation. I don’t know the man, and have had disagreements with him in terms of his policies, but to hold him accountable for another persons actions clearly demonstrates that this island is very very lucky indeed that you are not (I hope) an elected representative!
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Here Here 31 and 32. The vocal minority whingers are at it again with cover-ups. There never was, nor ever will be. But I only guess that the coconut ‘skull’ is sitting in Elvis Presley’s cabinet, as he has JFK over for dinner, whilst meeting aliens… I think these people are what happens when someone tries aphetamines.
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Welcome (31) – The ‘offensive’ e-mail appears that way to those who choose to take it out of context. You tell me of an office or institution where such e-mails to do not do the rounds, and in this case Mr Power’s frustration at the politicial interference and the Jersey Way seems to be the basis of this one and indeed the other.
I have not heard any abuse victims complaining about this (and yes, I do know some). I am sure they are more interested in closure and justice rather than 2 jokey e-mails from amongst the 1,000s that were looked at.
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35 “There never will be” and how pray will you guarantee that in the light of the long list list of proven cover ups,fiddles and cockups..I am afraid you have overshot the credibility runway now,,I have tried to respond logically to you,now you have proved it an impossible task ,as they say on Dragon’s Den…I’m out…
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“The ‘offensive’ e-mail appears that way to those who choose to take it out of context. You tell me of an office or institution where such e-mails to do not do the rounds”
Yes, you are correct. But in other insitutions they are sent by junior members of staff and if discovered those people are subject to disciplinary sanctions. So what is your point – that GP failed to reach the standards you would expect of an office junior?
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J G – you miss the point. It doesn’t matter whether the email was taken out of context. GP was the chief of police (!), if he didn’t have the sense to see that such a ‘joke’ might be offensive, he clearly didn’t have the competence to be running the operation, let alone the entire police force.
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“Proven cover-ups” Truthseeker? Your lot keep using that phrase, but never produce any evidence of any such thing…
Power’s failing was his appalling weakness and failure to keep Harper in check. His complaining to the press is in stark contrast to his instructions to his suspended officers that any communication to the media would result in instant dismissal. He was also quite comfortable for his own officers to be suspended for inordinate amounts of time, without any form of appeal or address… Sheer hypocrisy.
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37: Namestealer, what long list of cover-ups? Name one! Talk about respodning logically, clearly you know not what this word means!
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BELLA,
Both your comments are spot on.
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40 Dwayne..let’s keep it simple.and highlight one…..£11 million quids spent on a bespoke computer system for the States that never worked and was ditched…no one fired no investigation.no recompense, no computer system, no refund ,no accountability no transparency and no apology…? there have been many and there are ones running currently..
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It shows pure incompetence when everything this island does needs to be checked by UK so called experts.
Can Jersey just not do anything properly, at the right cost, without it looking more and more like people are taking the P*** out of us.
Or are the states saying look at us heres a cheque book, look its blank, what did you say that costs! 12million!!, im sure you said 5million 10 mins ago, oh well its only tax payers money.
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43 Namestealer: You must be kidding. That isn’t a cover-up it was a mistake. Whay does someone have to get fired? It happens all the time in private enterprise, people get a warning, and life moves on. Mistakes happen for all matter of reasons, but this doesn’t mean a cover-up. The fact it was reported (and in true fact did meet 12 of 20 IT targets for the project), demonstrates it isn’t a cover-up. So please, tell everyone WHAT COVER UPS?
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45 Err… 45 I think you’ll find that post was addressed to Dwayne…
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My master say ‘What is the essence of cover-up? Think only of this. You will need no more. Covet nothing. Your cover-up which is endless is as a snowflake dissolving in the pure air.’
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46 Namestealer, it is irrelevant who is was ‘addressed’ to, as it is a PUBLIC BLOG! My points still stand, very easily against your pitiful attempts of debate… even that word is unfairly describing your drivel.
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