Treasury Minister Allan Bell says the whole blame for the entire Manx Electricity Authority’s problems with government can be laid at the door of its former chief executive.

Giving evidence to a Tynwald Select Committee today, Mr Bell said Mike Proffitt was the reason the MEA had refused to cooperate with government over the Pulrose Power Station Project.

Mr Bell told the select committee there had been difficulties between the MEA board and the Treasury over financial regulations.

He said the MEA had refused to hand over information to government about its financial position.

Jason Roberts reports (text, below, from attached audio file):

Mr Bell said Mr Proffitt was a qualified accountant who had come onto the MEA board form the private sector.

Under questioning from the five-man committee today, he said the relationship between the MEA board and Treasury wasn’t a problem with the rest of the board.

Mr Bell said the blame for the affair lay squarely with Mr Proffitt, and that’s what had led to the situation of the ?120 million in unauthorised loans taken out by the authority.

He denied the MEA had, in effect, beaten up the Treasury, but said the real losers were the people of the Isle of Man.