Abuse Inquiry: Deputy Bailiff gives evidence over police chief suspension

Giving evidence to the panel on Friday, Mr Le Cocq, who was Solicitor General in November 2009 at the time of Mr Power’s suspension, said that he had advised Ian Crich that there would need to be ‘sufficient evidence’ to justify the suspension.

He said that it was especially important to have strong evidence given that the States had not yet seen the outcome of a Metropolitan Police report into the case.

Mr Power was suspended by the Home Affairs Minister at the time, Andrew Lewis, the next day – 12 November – for his alleged mishandling of Operation Rectangle, the inquiry into historical abuse in Jersey care homes. He retired two years later without ever being disciplined.

Mr Le Cocq said that despite his advice, which he expected Mr Crich to pass onto Deputy Lewis and chief executive of the States Bill Ogley, neither came back to him before the decision was taken.

He said that he had been first contacted by Mr Ogley about the legal process involved in the potential suspension that September, but that he was never asked by anyone in the States whether the police chief’s suspension was justified.

Speaking about the advice that he provided, Mr Le Cocq said: ‘I would have expected the minister to follow the advice he was given. If he was in any doubt that he had a sufficient basis for making a decision, yes, I would have expected him to ask for further advice.’

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