Ex-Alderney politician grilled in subsea cable probe

Wednesday 04 March 2020

A former Alderney politician has been grilled by police as part of a multi-million ‘corruption’ probe linked with a controversial power cable.

Former Chair of Alderney’s Policy and Finance Committee Robert McDowall was one of several people to be interviewed by Guernsey-based economic crime investigators over his involvement with ‘FAB Link’.

He served in the States of Alderney from 2013 to 2016 when negotiations over the planned subsea cable joining up France and the UK’s power grid via the third largest Channel Island were taking place. 

Alderney was due to receive £70,000 per year in return for allowing the infrastructure on its shores, but the idea divided opinion among locals.

Pictured: Guernsey Police are leading investigations.

Last year, a 'consortium' of residents took allegations of financial impropriety to a firm of London lawyers, who then interviewed around a dozen people.

They then shared their findings to the Ministry of Justice, who referred the case to Guernsey Police.

Speaking following his interview, Mr McDowall dismissed the residents’ allegations as “nonsense”. 

He said he was asked about consultancy work he had undertaken for ARE between 2010 and 2011 when he was part of a private equity brokering and investment firm called UbiCap.

"There was a one off package of work that we were asked to do looking at restructuring ARE to get wider investment," he explained. "I was not a States Member then. We ran the company down in 2013."

Mr McDowall said the police also interviewed him about the circumstances of how way leave was granted by the States for the FAB link.

He said officers had visited in order to 'close the file' on the allegations, which will be passed on to Guernsey Law Officers. In return, Mr McDowall handed the police a file of "Facebook bile" from FAB protestors, which had been directed at him.

"I know the author and the police were not very happy about it," he added. "I suggested cautioning them.

"The comments didn't hurt me because I have a very thick skin, but those claims were made while police were investigating the matter and could have impacted on the process."

Mr McDowall said he understood the matter would be resolved in the next couple of months, after Law Officers have reviewed the material.

A Bailiwick Law Enforcement spokesperson said: "Two officers from Bailiwick Law Enforcement's Economic Crime Division were in Alderney last week and reviewed relevant material linked to a complaint made by a consortium of Alderney residents.

"It would be inappropriate to make any further comments at this time."

In the meantime, the status of the FAB Link project remains unclear, particularly following changes to the planning law and a new Land Use Plan.