Economic Development chief executive Mike King and Wayne Gallichan, director of Locate Jersey, faced criticism earlier this year when this newspaper reported that the pair had spent thousands on fully flexible business-class tickets to attend a mining conference.
The pair also played golf in Cape Town on the day they arrived – despite saying they went business class so they were fresh to start work immediately.
Now, following a Freedom of Information request lodged by the JEP, emails sent by the pair and senior ministers before, during and after the controversial trip in February, show:
- Economic Development Minister Lyndon Farnham telling Mr Gallichan that his and Mr Kings actions were politically undefendable after the JEP broke the news.
- Mr Gallichan describing as rants interviews given to the media by Senator Farnham and Assistant Economic Development Minister Murray Norton in which they condemn the expenditure.
- Deputy Norton telling Senator Farnham, Mr King and Assistant Economic Development Minister Steve Pallett that he is becoming increasingly distressed that the message they are sending out is one of hubris.
- Senator Farnham, who claims he did not travel to South Africa because he found out it would cost taxpayers £5,000 for his ticket, telling Mr Gallichan that if he knew the cost of his and Mr Kings tickets he would have asked them to make better value arrangements.
Read the full details of the emails in Wednesday’s JEP.
