Nov 17 – Joanna Hernandez: Feetham “Continues To Be Obsessed About Me” – Read Full Letter Here
The following is a letter sent to the press by Joanna Hernandez regarding the Leader of the Opposition’s comments about the internal investigation into allegations against her and the Bar Council’s recent report following a complaint to it by Mrs Hernandez about Mr Feetham’s conduct.
Dear Mr Feetham,
As you must be aware I am still at Calpe House and continuing to receive outpatient treatment having been hospitalized for 5 weeks, so the last thing I need right now is to be dealing with your comments about me in the media.
However if you have been asked to comment the least I would expect is that you should get your facts right.
I complained to the Bar Council because of your comment on the ongoing investigation into an allegation apparently made against me on 21st February which is being dealt as an internal civil service matter as the rules provide.
As far as I am aware when there are complaints in a workplace made by some employees against another and these are been investigated by the employer, politicians do not make comments that could influence the independence and outcome, because the matter is what I believe you lawyers call sub judice. Especially when as I still have told you I still have no knowledge of the identity of the complainant or the alleged incident complained of.
You know this because you have already expressed concern at this state of affairs. Much as I welcomed your concern you must forgive me if I tell you I am beginning to think it is just crocodile tears on your part.
You are not telling the truth.
The Bar Council did not as you have suggested, find that my “complaints never had any foundation”, the precise words of the Bar Council’s findings were: “the committee have found that Mr Feetham was not acting in a professional capacity at the time that the complaint was made and therefore the matter is outside the vires of the committee”.
In other words they had been unable to ask you not to conduct yourself in a way that could prejudice me in the outcome of the investigation only because your were making your comments wearing your political hat rather than your legal one.
I put it to you that as a professional lawyer you must know that your conduct as a politician would be unacceptable if it was your conduct as a lawyer. Your previous letter to me expressed your concern at the delay, a concern which is shared by me and Unite. The person most affected by this delay is me. I am the one being subjected to this additional stress whilst I am at the same time seriously ill and undertaking medical treatment in the UK.
I need to remind you that I know no more today about the complaint made against me than I did on the 21st February when it was first made, which means I still do not even know who the alleged complainants are.
The panel that was set up by the Chief Secretary has to date not yet provided me with any details of who claims I have acted incorrectly with them, how and when.
This is a matter which is being dealt with internally in the civil service and which you appear to be wishing to exploit to your political advantage. Since you are someone who aspires to be the next Chief Minister in a year’s time, I have necessarily to be concerned that your attempts to politicize the outcome that could be detrimental to the independence of the investigation which I am entitled to have and expect.
If this were a case in a different employment area and you were expressing views on an ongoing investigation as a lawyer I have no doubt that the Bar Council would have asked you to stop making public comments.
This leads me to believe that you continue to be obsessed about me.
Yours sincerely
Joanna Hernandez
