Senator Philip Ozouf offers to ‘step aside’ as Assistant Chief Minsiter

Senator Ozouf made the the statement in the States on Tuesday afternoon – the first sitting since a Comptroller and Auditor General report found that up to £1.4 million of taxpayers’ money given to companies through the fund could be written off. In total £2 million was given to six new businesses, one has folded and three are ‘significantly under-performing’.

The fund currently falls under the political remit of Senator Ozouf who has come under increasing pressure from the public and politicians.

In a statement read out in the States on Tuesday, Senator Ozouf said: ‘I have no wish to be a distraction or media side show during this review period and so I shall be writing to the Chief Minister and offering to step aside from my responsibility as Assistant Chief Minister.’

He added that the Innovation Fund board has been disbanded and the fund closed.

‘The public deserve to know who did what when,’ he said.

Reform Jersey tweeted an extract of that statement before it was read out in court. The Bailiff William Bailhache said their actions were inappropriate.

Full story in Wednesday’s JEP

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