And if details of their crimes emerge after they have arrived, the Housing Committee are powerless to act and cannot revoke their consent.The Housing Committee have admitted that their checks have not been rigorous enough and revealed in the States today that two months ago they changed their policy, although they made no public statement at the time.The revelation that 1(i)K applicants could hide their criminal past emerged in the States this morning as a result of questions to Housing president Deputy Terry Le Main by St Saviour Deputy Roy Le Hérissier.Deputy Le Main said: ‘The committee decided in April 2003 that it will in future require all applicants…to disclose any criminal convictions or alternatively satisfy the committee with documentary evidence thay they have no such convictions.’Historically background references have been obtained but this approach is no longer considered sufficiently rigorous,’ said Deputy Le Main.He said that in future criminal convictions would mean an automatic rejection unless the offences were relatively minor, occurred many years ago and the applicant was now of ‘good character’.Deputy Le Main was pressed for further details on the old policy but he refused to give answers, claiming that the issues were too sensitive and involved individual members of the public.The Bailiff, Sir Philip Bailhache, ruled that the questions were in order but Deputy Le Main said that the department dealt with the applications and he was unable to give answers.However, in response to a question from Deputy Bob Hill, he said that if details of criminal convictions emerged after a person had taken up residency, the committee could not withdraw the consent.’They can live in that property for ever more,’ he said.Deputy Le Herissier’s questions coincide with ongoing national press speculation about the business affairs of convicted fraudster and wealthy immigrant Gerald Smith, who is the Lieut Governor’s next door neighbour at Steephill.He was fined £10,000 and three of the companies of which he was or is a director were also each fined £10,000 for being in contempt of the Royal Court last week for failing to disclose information in an ongoing civil action involving his troubled Orb Estates business empire.
He was given until 30 June to comply or face further serious sanctions.
Mr Smith successfully applied for residency despite his conviction in 1993 for stealing £2 million from the pension fund of a company of which he was chief executive.
