JUST four ministers were to blame for Fallagate, the Bailiff has been told. Bernard Flouquet, Dave Jones, Mary Lowe and Lyndon Trott have been accused of bringing the clinical block scandal down on the States through attacks on Deputy Stuart Falla.

The claims are made in Health minister Peter Roffey’s letter of resignation, which will be debated by the States next month.

‘I am in no doubt whatsoever that the wholly inappropriate behaviour of four members of the council led to the loss of £2.4m. at a time when Guernsey could ill afford it,’ he said.

‘I am not denying their right to question issues such as the wisdom of putting too much of the States capital programme with one contractor.

‘I was, however, shocked at their obsessional focus on the fact that a fellow minister was a major shareholder in that firm.’

His allegation, which has previously been denied by the ministers, appears to confirm a widely held view that a ‘gang of four’ operated in concert in the council.

Deputy Roffey also said that Chief Minister Laurie Morgan failed to control the issue as it spiralled out of control.

The Health minister explained that he had quit because he believed that confidence in the Policy Council, on the part of States members and the public, had been damaged by the council’s ‘clear responsibility’ for the waste of £2.4m. on the clinical block project.

As the minister promoting it, he believed that all proper procedures had been followed to keep Deputy Falla out of the decision-making process.

‘In those circumstances, the unwillingness of these members to face down any potential opposition which might have arisen from the award of the contract to the best-value tenderer smacked either of political weakness or else of personality politics.

‘Either way, these irrational and unwarranted actions cost the taxpayer of Guernsey dearly.’

Deputy Roffey said that ministers, having satisfied themselves that the tender system was above board, should have backed the one that gave the better deal to the taxpayer.

‘If ill-informed criticism of that course of action had arisen, then they should have had the fortitude to defend the correct outcome which had flowed from proper process.

‘Far from that, some members chose to become themselves the levellers of that criticism and it was delivered, in my view, on the level of ﾓsaloon bar debateﾔ.’

Deputy Morgan shared some of the blame, he added, but mainly because of the system he had to work under. He said that he still held the chief minister in the highest regard for his ‘utmost integrity as a politician who really cares for the people of Guernsey’.

Deputy Roffey said that he was anxious to avoid blanket criticism of all the members of the Policy Council, most of whom had behaved quite properly both generally and over the clinical block.

Deputy Roffey wants his resignation debated, which means that his fellow deputies may not want him to go, but he said that if he were to become a backbencher, he would carry out the role in a ‘vigorous and energetic way’.