'Conceivable' that some GBA staff want to undermine chief, Home minister says
BORDER AGENCY officers could 'conceivably' be attempting to undermine the head of law enforcement, the Home Department minister has acknowledged.
But Deputy Jonathan Le Tocq did not believe there was a 'concerted effort' to target police and Border Agency chief Patrick Rice.
The Home minister answered questions yesterday about the current state of relations within the GBA, after it emerged Mr Rice had been cleared of gross misconduct following an undisclosed complaint from a Customs officer.
When asked if the complaint – along with the unprecedented amount of rumour and speculation circulated throughout the island recently about Mr Rice's conduct – could be conceived as a concerted attempt to damage the chief, Deputy Le Tocq said: 'It could be conceived that way yes. I would not call it a concerted effort though.'
In its statement announcing the conclusion of the investigation, Home gave its full backing to Mr Rice, who posed for a picture yesterday to show it was business as usual.
