Sargeant: QC inquiry takes final submissions
THE main, QC-led inquiry into Carl Sargeant’s treatment by First Minister Carwyn Jones will today accept its final submissions of written evidence.
Paul Bowen QC intends to begin interviewing witnesses in September, with the aim of publishing his report by the end of the year.
Mr Sargeant is believed to have committed suicide last November, four days after being removed from his post as Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Children following unspecified allegations of sexual harassment that he denied.
Mr Sargeant’s family, including his son Jack, who succeeded him as the Labour AM for Alyn and Deeside after winning a by-election in February, are unhappy with the inquiry’s protocol, which does not allow their lawyer Leslie Thomas QC to put questions directly to Mr Jones and other witnesses. Instead he must submit questions to the inquiry team. Hearings will take place in private.
There has also been criticism of an email sent to Welsh Government civil servants by the Permanent Secretary, Dame Shan Morgan, which asked them to send any relevant evidence to her or other senior managers, rather than directly to the inquiry. She later amended her message to say they could send evidence directly to the inquiry.
However, the new version still told staff they “should” inform their bosses of any evidence they proposed to give to the inquiry.
One of the inquiry’s main areas of focus will be Mr Jones’ decision to refer the allegations against Mr Sargeant to the Labour Party, rather than to the civil Service under the Ministerial code, the procedure adopted by Theresa May in the case of former First Secretary of State Damian Green.
The Labour Party departed from its own sexual harassment policy and suspended Mr Sargeant from membership pending an investigation. He was also sacked from his Cabinet post by Mr Jones.
Meanwhile no date has yet been fixed for an inquest into Mr Sargeant’s death.
The Welsh Government has refused to answer a series of questions arising out of its decision to tell the coroner during a pre-inquest hearing at Ruthin’s Coroner’s Court last month that further allegations of “inappropriate” behaviour had emerged in connection with Mr Sargeant.
Cathryn McGahey QC, representing the department of First Minister Carwyn Jones, had told the hearing: “An increasing number of women have either come forward or been identified as saying they were subjected to inappropriate behaviour by Mr Sargeant.”
The barrister for Mr Sargeant’s family, Leslie Thomas QC, said the allegations were “unproven” and Mr Sargeant was not there to defend himself.
Coroner John Gittins told the hearing he did not think details of the allegations made by women would be relevant to the inquest, which is likely to take place later this year.
It has also been made clear that Mr Bowen will not be investigating the allegations.
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “Whilst it would be inappropriate to comment on specific issues whilst the inquest is ongoing, it is vital that individuals feel able to come forward and that any allegations are taken seriously.”
Meanwhile, Neil McEvoy AM launched a new attempt to force the release of the inquiry into whether there was an authorised leak of Mr Sargeant’s sacking.
Earlier this year Permanent Secretary Dame Shan Morgan told AMs the leak inquiry could find no evidence of the prior unauthorised disclosure of the ministerial reshuffle, but she has refused to publish the report.
Mr McEvoy submitted a motion for debate yesterday that would enact Section 37 of the Government of Wales Act 2006, which allows AMs to require any person to produce any Welsh Government document in their possession. Names would be redacted to protect the anonymity of people who provided evidence to the investigation.
He did the same last March, as did the Conservatives, but the motion put forward by the Tories failed last April with 26 votes for, 29 against and one abstention.
Yesterday, Mr McEvoy said: “I feel that there is still significant public interest in the circumstances surrounding Carl Sargeant’s sacking and death, and that it’s in the public interest for the report to be released.”