In this final instalment of “Briefing Notes” sent by (illegally?) suspended former Police Chief Graham Power QPM to ALL local “accredited” media he spells out who is responsible for the Home Affairs Financial Management.
Now that the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) headed by Senator Ben Shenton are looking at governmental over-spends and who is responsible for them, well when it comes to the Home Affairs, it appears, he need look no further than Steven Austin Vautier.
Deputy Bob Hill asked a written question to Home Affairs Minister Senator Ian Le Marquand on Tuesday 20th April 2010 which was published by Rico Sorda HERE In his answer Senator Le Marquand had this to say.
“d. The Accounting Officer of a states funded body is personally accountable for the proper financial management of the resources of the body in accordance with article 38 of the public finances law( jersey) law 2005 law.”
This is precisely the point being made by the former Chief Police Officer………….It’s the law! ARTICLE 38 OF THE PUBLIC FINANCES (JERSEY) LAW 2005.
One has to wonder if Steven Austin Vautier will get suspended with total disregard for due process, refused legal representation and be subjected to a Kangaroo Court?
This note has been prepared by Graham Power and is intended to assist Editors in reporting issues arising from the decision of the Minister for Home Affairs, Senator Ian Le Marquand, to abandon all disciplinary proceedings in my case.
Topic:
Financial Management. Who is responsible?
It is understood that the Minister may say something in a presentation which may be critical of my role in the financial management of the Historic Abuse Enquiry. I can only deduce this from comments he has made in the media. He has told me nothing.
It might therefore be helpful for me to share some information on this topic. On this particular subject readers have the advantage of being able to look up some of the facts for themselves. The responsibilities of the parties are set out in the Public Finances (Jersey) Law 2005 and the guidelines issued under that law. The Law creates the position of “Accounting Officer.” The Accounting Officer is the person responsible for the financial management of a department, he or she must ensure that expenditure is properly authorised, that financial procedures are complied with, and that budget targets are met. The Accounting Officer for the Police is the Chief Officer of the Home Affairs Department. (No need to believe me...you can look it up for yourself.)
You might think that this is a foolish arrangement. I agree. From the very beginning I have pointed out how the separation of Financial Control from Operational Control had the potential to create difficulties, particularly in times of pressure when decisions had to be taken quickly.
Nevertheless I have tried hard to make a bad system work. During “normal times” I held regular meetings with the Home Affairs Department on budget issues. Written records exist of all of these meetings. During the Historic Abuse Enquiry I held the normal meetings as well as additional meetings dedicated to the financial management of the abuse enquiry. Written records exist of all of these meetings. The important points to note are that all expenditure on the enquiry was approved by the finance staff of the Home Affairs Department, and that when asked at no time did the Home Affairs staff report any concerns regarding finance issues. This is all a matter of written record.
It now looks however that Ministers may take a different view of financial responsibilities for the Police Service.
It appears that the Chief Officer who Ministers insisted should not be in control of the Force budget is going to be condemned in his absence for...................................not being in control of the Force Budget.
Editors may wish to explore whether there is any contradiction in Ministerial positions on this issue.
Submitted by VFC.
I forgot to mention that Lenny Harper was actually "told off" for even mentioning the finances!
ReplyDeleteIts gone so quite you can hear a pin drop.
ReplyDeleteBlame it on the Summer recess.
If you must.
But the question that needs to be answered is.
How are we going to get out of this one?
It never ceases to amaze me VFC that it is left to you and Rico, with the assistance of Graham Power to make all this know to the public.
ReplyDeleteWhy, oh why are the 'accredited' media not picking up on all this, and making the news. I am damned sure it would anywhere else.
You were hung out to dry Mr Power -it becomes more and more obvious.
Power and Harper, along with their committed and hard working team got results. 100s of hours of credible statements from around the world.
ReplyDeleteWhat results does Steven Austen Vautier have to show for his last three years salary of nearly half a million pounds of tax payers money!?
Jill.
ReplyDeleteYou are correct. Graham Power QPM. sent these briefing notes to all "accredited" media, thankfully he copied in the "unaccredited" media otherwise they would not have seen the light of day.
I agree it certainly looks like the "accredited" media have hung him out to dry. It will now be interesting to see if they ask any "probing" questions of either Ian Le Marquand or Steve Austin Vautier concerning Mr. Austin Vautier's accountability...........Yeah right!!
The so-called accredited media do not want to rock the boat, I mean how can you go to functions drink champagne and enjoy the powder if you said nasty things about there incompetence. it's easier to just ignore things and tell people what they want them to hear.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.tomscott.com/warnings/
ReplyDeleteWarning labels for our media.
Warcup and Vautier were signing off the expenses for Wiltshire
ReplyDeleteSays it all really
What has/does SA Vautier do to justify his huge salary and what has and is he accountable for? Concidering he is in the very highest and most powerful position at the States of Jersey Home Affairs Department, he seems to have got off scott free, thats if ILM had his way.
ReplyDeleteWith all this spouting of rubbish as to why the "accredited" media are so superior, impartial etc has anyone else noticed the fact that while most supporters of progressive politics can't even get a letter published in the JEP, hardcore right winger Jon Dix has been allowed one just about every week for the past two months. All attacking progressives! Is this the balanced and unbiased JEP helping to promote another establishment candidate for next year? This bloke lives in Grouville so it starts to fit...
ReplyDelete"Re; "he seems to have got off scott free, thats if ILM had his way."
ReplyDeleteThat brings up an interesting point. We know certain individuals involved with the (illegal?) suspension of Graham Power have been sent "Scott Letters" as part of the Brian Napier QC Report.
Has Steven Austin Vautier recieved one? Furthermore, for those who have recieved a Scott Letter and are employed by the States, have they been suspended (as a neutral act?)
" for those who have recieved a Scott Letter and are employed by the States, have they been suspended (as a neutral act?)"
ReplyDeleteAND IF NOT WHY NOT?????????????
Just a question, well a few.
ReplyDeleteWho was incharge, G Power or SA Vautier? They were both Home Affairs,(different areas) but who was commanding the most money?
Or were they on par with each other?
Nevertheless where does SA Vautier come into all this for taking at least some responsability?
Realistically Vautier & Ogley have a lot in common in all this!?
......and will we ever know just WHO they are and why they received them?
ReplyDeleteThe most that Ogley and Vautier have in common is that they go along with "the establishment way".
ReplyDeleteLets stop calling it "the Jersey way".
Real Jersey is not the establishment!!!!
Jersey is here to stay, the establishment arnt.
To use the words of the Home Affairs minister himself, Senator Ian Le Marquand said this.
ReplyDelete"The Accounting Officer of a states funded body is personally accountable for the proper financial management of the resources of the body in accordance with article 38 of the public finances law( jersey) law 2005 law.”
The accounting Officer is none other than Steve Austin Vautier.
So rather than SAV taking "some" of the responsibility, I would argue he shoulders "all" the responsibility.
Could I reiterate one thing which I have stated before and which Graham Power also said, but which has a huge relevance to the finance debate? During the Abuse enquiry I had many meetings with Steven Austin Vautier and the Head of Finance for the States. I went through ALL the expenditure incurred on the enquiry in great detail with him. I told him what arrangements we were making to get the best possible deals in accomodation and travel. I received PRIOR authority for the building and refurbishment of the new incident room demanded by ACPO, and I discussed the trips abroad. At no time did he, or the female head of finance raise any concerns. He and his staff were consulted on a daily basis and knew exactly the requirements. Lenny Harper
ReplyDeletePowers job was to keep Law and Order.
ReplyDeleteVautiers job was to look after finances.
The simple question that needs to be answered is:
Who failed?!
@ Lenny. The female head of finance would have had a good education in these affairs and was centre heavy?
ReplyDeleteThis is what LH explained on my blog posting that is linked on VFC post
ReplyDelete"
Due to the volume of contact and reports by victims I had to build up the team to levels not seen in Jersey before. I couldn't use too many local officers because to do so would have left no cover for ordinary policing. I had to bring in detectives from outside. I couldn't get enough from UK forces so also employed experienced investigators on contracts - mainly former detectives. They all had to be placed in reasonable accomodation - my PA did a great job in getting cut price deals in hotels. They also had to be given a couple of days off every fortnight to go home. It is worth noting that the size of the team decreased as I left and very few of them were replaced. I also had to employ a team of Forensic Archaeologists to carry out the dig - they were recommended through the National Policing Improvement Agency, and of course the Forensic Anthropologists who came in the same way. They were ever present in differing numbers throughout our time at HDLG. We also employed, on the recommendation of the NPIA, Martin Grimes and his human remains/blood dogs. Gradwell focussed on Martin as a 'waste of money' and the states threatened not to pay him until his lawyer got involved and said I would testify to his value, which was immense, both in respect of the involvement of his dogs and his own experience as search advisor. Other experts we hired at the outset were geo-physical and Ground Penetrating Radar teams. The latter were needed several times but our contacts in the Met helped us out. We also had costs for the forensic examinations, and of course the high cost of guarding the crime scene at HDLG, which was done on overtime to prevent withdrawing police cover for the island. Very little of this would have been a cost for Gradwell and Warcup, as they reduced the team, HDLG was cosed and did not need guarding, and of course all the experts were gone. I used my own contacts in the UK to get many freebies, such as the sifting machine from the Anti Terrorist Squad at Scotland Yard and security inspections, as well as advice on other aspects of the enquiry. We had the sifting machine for several months and only had to pay for the cost of transporting it and cleaning it after use."
rs
Rico.
ReplyDeleteThis, once more, begs the question how is it possible that Gradwell and Warcup have spent more money on the Child Abuse investigation than Lenny Harper and Graham Power?
Something I'm sure Steve Austin Vautier would be able to answer?
Steve Austin Vautier is coated in the establishment teflon at the moment he must tick all the boxes.
ReplyDeleteWe are yet to look at the expenditure of Wiltshire and how it came to cost a million pounds. Who was in charge of that.
Yup
DW & SAV
rs
Anon: re the female head of finance. Her surname has escaped me, but I think her first name was Liz. VFC - how right you are. As I read through the extreme measures we had to take to investigate the hundreds of credible allegations we were getting I cannot even begin to imagine how our substantial necessary spending was topped by Warcup and Gradwell. Other than trying to discredit victims, ourselves, media "experts" to feed the JEP the stuff they couldn't make up on their own, and of course the doomed research trying to dish the dirt on Graham Power. Lenny Harper
ReplyDeleteOff tack somewhat, but I have just been reading about the Dr David Kelly 'suicide' cover-up.
ReplyDeleteOne person interviwed (a distinguished historian), amongst many who doubt the theory that he took his own life said 'I wouldn't put anything past the Government, as I know from personal experience. When the Establishment is threatened, it closes ranks.'
Well, what does this remind us of? Ber in mind Dr Kelly's death took place in 2003, and prominent people have and still are asking questions and posing doubts.
Keep going VFC, Rico, Lenny, Graham, Bob Hill and all the other good people that know something does not ring true about this case either.