Most will know by now that Jersey's Former Chief Police Officer, Graham Power QPM, was suspended from duty on November 12th 2008 (with almost TOTAL disregard to due process) during the biggest Child Abuse Inquiry the island has ever seen. There are a growing number of people who believe that it was "because" his force were investigating the institutional Child Abuse that he got suspended.
Bloggers (Jersey's only independent media) have reported extensively on this very dubious suspension where the "official line" has not stood up to the slightest scrutiny. The latest turn of events is that, after reviewing the Hansard of the States Sitting where the (then) Home Affairs Minister Andrew Lewis informed the parliament that he had suspended the Chief Police Officer back in 2008, Deputy Mike Higgins claims that Andrew Lewis misled the parliament.
P48/2012 is asking that the Hansard of that debate is now made public. Deputy Higgins is adamant that the former Home Affairs Minister misled the parliament and the Hansard will show this. Deputy Higgins is asking for the "facts" and the "evidence" to be put into the public domain so we (the public) can know what went on in this secret sitting where our most Senior Police Officer was (illegally?) suspended.
The suspension conducted by Andrew Lewis has been criticised by the Royal Court, Brian Napier QC, even the discredited and disgraced current Home Affairs Minister has criticised it. We (Bloggers) have exposed what a web of lies and deceit this whole ghastly charade has been and now it's time for the government to "put up or shut up." Publish the Hansard and prove no lies were told during that debate or carry on the secrecy while the eyes of the world are on the island and live up to its reputation of "island of secrets."
So far Jersey's government and State Media have only given us the "prosecution case" against the former Police Chief and he has been subject to a "Trial By Media" on that one side. The current Home Affairs Minister, nor Jon Gripton, (Editor BBC State Radio) have published the 62,000 word "defence case" of Mr. Power. Deputy Higgins believes that this could be because there is a whole new can of worms contained in it. Still that is no excuse for the BBC to sit on it, or the Home Affairs Minister, as they have both reported the prosecution case and are both in possession of the defence case and have been for quite some time.