Deputy Andrew Lewis, who was Home Affairs Minister in 2008 at the time of Graham Power’s suspension, said he made an error during Members’ questioning and incorrectly referred to a letter from then deputy police chief David Warcup as a report from the Metropolitan Police.
The panel found that Deputy Lewis had deliberately lied by saying he had seen a report by the Met Police to justify suspending Mr Power – both to States Members in 2008 and again when he gave evidence to the inquiry last year.
It was further found that he used an interim report as part of the disciplinary process against Mr Power when he knew it was ‘impermissible’.
However, Deputy Lewis has denied any suggestion that he lied, and said that it was a ‘genuine mistake that I have corrected on a number of occasions since’.
The inquiry found that while the decision to suspend Mr Power was handled badly, there had been nothing to suggest that his suspension had been part of a political attempt to interfere with the police investigation into child abuse – codenamed Operation Rectangle.
Deputy Lewis said: ‘It is misleading to suggest I lied. I have never lied to the States Assembly.
‘I made a decision based on the advice I had at the time. I made an error and I am staggered that the inquiry team should refer to that as a lie. At worst – I unintentionally misled the Assembly.’
‘Members knew I was talking about information from David Warcup.’
