Reminds me of an episode at a certain workplace where excess office carpet was purchased to cover future 'worn' areas.When the time came to replace these worn areas, the carpet was nowhere to be seen.The manager swore black and blue, together with many choice words, that if he found the culprit who had stolen the carpet there would be hell to play.
When a tradesman from the same workplace was asked to do some work at the home of the manager's son he informed me, on his return, that the carpet in the lounge room had an uncanny similarity to the same 'excess' carpet we had been endeavouring to find!
I think, in colloquial terms, it is called 'Putting up a Smokescreen'.
