CCA head ‘victim of dirty tricks’ smear
A HOTELIER says Peter Ferbrache is the victim of a dirty tricks campaign after leaked emails appeared to indicate the chief minister advised a suspected Covid-19 breach by a hotel employee need not be reported.
Farmhouse managing director David Nussbaumer admitted ‘a white lie’ when he wrote that Deputy Ferbrache told him not to disclose the employee who might have broken self-isolation rules.
Emails between Mr Nussbaumer and a member of his staff came to light at the weekend. The employee was said to have gone into the room of a self-isolating person, possibly violating the law.
In the exchange Mr Nussbaumer reportedly said he had spoken to his long-time friend Deputy Ferbrache saying the deputy and lawyer told him there was ‘sufficient leeway’ to not report the matter after initially saying the matter should be disclosed.
Mr Nussbaumer has now admitted the politician did not advise him.
‘As for the seriousness of it, in my humble opinion no laws have been broken but that does not paper over the actions of a member of staff whom I considered should have handled things differently,’ he told the Guernsey Press yesterday.
‘The only thing I am guilty of is telling a couple of white lies in using Peter’s name in order to try and make her realise the thoughtlessness of her actions. She respects Peter very much with him having acted for her previously. I had no reason or proof to believe that her version of events broke any rules.’
Mr Nussbaumer said he was concerned about how his private emails had been leaked and why. He was investigating whether he had been hacked. If so, he would be making a formal criminal complaint to police.
‘This smacks of “Harwood-gate” where once again an innocent and extremely able head of our government is being attacked by a minority of our deputies with clear and alternative agendas,’ he said.
‘[Their] only aim is to try and disable, sabotage and damage the work of our top politicians. The sooner they stop their dirty tricks campaigns and actually start supporting the government in its attempts to recover from the terrible Covid epidemic, the better off we all will be.’
Deputy Ferbrache confirmed he had been close friends with Mr Nussbaumer for more than 30 years and they had discussed many things. But he had no recollection of the conversation mentioned in the email exchange and said he would never have said what was alleged.
‘This conversation is alleged to have happened at the end of May,’ he said. ‘I had been chair of the CCA for seven months by then. I knew my responsibilities.’
He was aware of the woman in the case, after being involved with a legal case with her many years ago, but he had no recollection of dealing with her in recent times.
