SFO head's lapses in judgment a concern

Serious Fraud Office head Adam Feeley probably doesn't know whether to be embarrassed, relieved or worried today.

Yesterday it was announced Mr Feeley won't face any legal or police action, after he handed out copies of Allan Hubbard's biography as Christmas party prizes while Mr Hubbard was under investigation by the SFO.

More bizarrely, this is not Mr Feeley's first instance of bad judgment - the spotlight also fell on the embattled SFO boss after it was revealed he celebrated criminal charges being laid against Bridgecorp chief Rod Petricevic by serving staff a bottle of champagne belonging to that company's directors.

But following an investigation by State Services Commissioner Iain Rennie, it was decided yesterday that "no further action is necessary".

So Mr Feeley is safe for now - but perhaps the damage has already been done.

It is, of course, easy to criticise.

But any impartial observer will recognise that the actions of Mr Feeley were stupid in the extreme.

It appears that Mr Feeley has himself accepted this, through apologising for his behaviour and expressing regret.

The fact that the head of an organisation with such an important role as the SFO could make such serious lapses of judgment is cause for real concern.

Regardless of whether they work in the public or private sector, there exists a not-unrealistic expectation on the heads of large organisations that they bring a particular level of judgment and perception awareness to their roles.

On both counts, Mr Feeley has failed miserably.

The case against Mr Hubbard, who in September died in a car crash near Oamaru, was one which polarised public opinion.

His untimely death meant the charges against him were never proven, however the simple existence of the SFO investigation meant Mr Feeley's decision to hand out copies of the financier's biography was ill-considered, particularly when considered against the firestorm of public opinion that swirled around Mr Hubbard.

The same argument applies to the wine incident.

While Mr Rennie has publicly backed Mr Feeley, describing him as an "effective chief executive and leader", it remains to be seen whether Mr Feeley's staff now hold the same view.

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