Fran O’Sullivan isn’t at all reassured by Adam Feeley’s groveling email or ticking off by the SSC:
…we now know courtesy of State Services Commission (SSC) boss Iain Rennie that toasting the Bridgecorp fraud prosecution with a bottle of the directors’ Gosset champagne is not a sacking offence as far as he is concerned. Neither was the decision to hand out a biography of the late Allan Hubbard at the SFO’s Christmas party, even though the failed Timaru financier was still under investigation at that time.
Feeley’s actions were merely “ill-advised” and showed a “lack of judgment”. But, said Rennie, the SFO’s performance had improved under Feeley’s leadership. The SSC boss would talk to him about the standards he expected of government chief executives.
Fundamentally, Rennie has failed to address the real issue.
The police and criminal bar have raised valid concerns that Feeley’s antics have contaminated the SFO’s integrity – particularly its reputation for unbiased judgment.
Clearly Fran is unimpressed with the State Services Commissioner.
Feeley’s reputation is that of a self-promoting gunslinger who “shoots from the lip”. There has been growing dismay within his own office for some time over the way SFO staffers have felt themselves compromised by their boss’s cavalier approach. But none of this features in the SSC statement.
Feeley has flicked an emailed apology to Police Minister Judith Collins for causing her embarrassment. But the people he should be apologising to are his staff. And in person.
If I am reading Feeley correctly, he won’t have been too fazed by Rennie’s mild censure. But he would be wise not to go on a witch hunt within his own office to try to get to the series of leaks which undermined his authority in recent weeks.
Unfortunately a witch-hunt is well underway at god knows how much of a cost. PWC doesn’t come cheap. Fortunately it will all be searchable under the OIA, including the engagement letters/contracts/emails.
