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One of Jersey's most senior civil servants will no longer be participating in the process to select the Channel Islands' new ferry provider after expressing a preference for DFDS in an online poll by "mistake", Express can confirm.
Jersey's Government said Economy Chief Officer Richard Corrigan had "recused himself from any further involvement to ensure good governance and to maintain confidence in the procurement process".
Three major ferry operators have been reported to have put themselves forward to win the tender, including the incumbent, Condor Ferries, whose current agreement is due to end next year.
Danish shipping giant DFDS confirmed its intention to secure the contract in April, and Irish Ferries has also submitted a bid.
Both Condor and DFDS have conducted berthing trials in Guernsey and Jersey in recent months – with the latest taking place earlier this month – and a decision is expected this month.
The final say on who should win the contract will be a joint decision by both islands' governing politicians, supported by officials.
But a "straw poll" by a Guernsey-based member of the Condor Ferries User Group – a 10,400-strong Facebook forum where Channel Islanders share information and opinions about the running of the operator – sparked doubts over the objectivity of the individual leading the department looking after the process.
Pictured: A poll in the Condor Ferries User Group asked, "Who do I want to be awarded the Ferry Contract?".
Condor and Brittany Ferries took 60% of the nearly 600 votes, while DFDS had a 39% share. A 'Richard Corrigan' was among the 200 to back the latter, which Express has confirmed to be Jersey's Economy Department Chief.
Government officials told Express that Mr Corrigan "made an inadvertent mistake, and corrected it as soon as he was made aware of it".
"To protect the integrity of the procurement process, the [Senior Reporting Officer] has recused himself from any further involvement to ensure good governance and to maintain confidence in the procurement process," they added.
"The schedule and timetable for the process remain unaffected by the change in SRO."
Bias or blunder? Conflict concerns as Economy Chief shares DFDS ‘preference’
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