CM defends Financial Services Minister after Petty Debts summons

Wednesday 01 February 2023

Ministers should be judged by “how they perform in their official role” rather than their private lives, the Chief Minister has said after the Financial Services Minister received his third Petty Debts summons in just three months.

Deputy Philip Ozouf was this morning called before the court after St. Helier-based GP surgery Health Plus Ltd claimed that he had not paid a bill. The case was adjourned for four weeks.

The Minister had also been summoned in December over an unpaid St. Saviour Parish Rates Bill, and another of £2,500 relating to properties in Trinity - but paid both shortly before the cases reached court.

The latest summons came just days after the Chief Minister confirmed in a letter that Deputy Ozouf would be retaining the Financial Services portfolio, despite previously plans to hand this to its former holder, Treasury Minister Deputy Ian Gorst.

Deputy Ozouf did not provide a comment when contacted by Express and the JEP, but told ITV this week that the summons related to a “private family matter”.

He said an “oversight” had occurred in respect of a £179 bill, adding that “corrective action is being taken to ensure that if there are any other matters that have not been dealt with they will be”.

Pictured: Deputy Ozouf's listing on this week's Petty Debts hearing schedule.

As Financial Services Minister, Deputy Ozouf is responsible for leading efforts to prepare for an evaluation later this year by European monitoring group Moneyval, which is assessing the island’s compliance with international standards.

Asked about the message Deputy Ozouf’s recent Petty Debts summons may send to the finance industry locally and globally ahead of the key assessment, Chief Minister Deputy Kristina Moore commented: “Recent media reports about Deputy Ozouf relate to a private matter and are not linked to his work as a Minister. 

“Ministers should be judged on how they perform in their official role, and Deputy Ozouf is doing an excellent job as Minister for External Relations and Financial Services – improving our relations with the UK, France and beyond, preparing for our Moneyval assessment and promoting our financial services industry.”