Azopardi says CM’s position ‘untenable’ and other ministers must decide to ‘back him or sack him’  

The Leader of the Opposition, Keith Azopardi, called on Chief Minister Fabian Picardo to resign and for an election to be called following publication of Sir Peter Openshaw’s “truly shocking” report on the McGrail Inquiry. 

In an address delivered on Christmas Eve, Mr Azopardi said the Chief Minister’s position was now “untenable”, adding that other Government ministers must also carefully consider their response to the report’s findings. 

He noted that the Chief Minister claimed to have been “vindicated” despite what he described as severe criticism in the report, adding that Sir Peter Openshaw’s conclusions amounted to “a damning verdict on Mr Picardo’s behaviour”. 

Mr Azopardi said the report revealed “a naked abuse of power” and urged other Government ministers to consider their continued support for the Chief Minister. 

“Each minister now needs to consider whether he or she should, in good conscience, continue to support Mr Picardo,” Mr Azopardi said. 

“If they do, then that, in itself, will be a stark message to you.” 

Mr Azopardi framed that decision as one with clear political consequences. 

“That even now they are prepared to put up with the conduct, the half-truths and the downright lies,” he said. 

“That even now they prefer power over public interest.” 

“They each face that crossroads now.” 

“They either back him or sack him,” he added. 

“And if they don’t sack him they have backed him in this grossly improper action.” 

The Leader of the Opposition also challenged Mr Picardo’s previous public statements about the inquiry’s findings, saying that for months before the last general election the Chief Minister had repeatedly said he would be exonerated and that it would get to “the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.” 

“Far from exoneration he has been deeply criticised for his conduct,” Mr Azopardi said. 

The Leader of the Opposition said the inquiry had found the Chief Minister attempted to interfere in an ongoing criminal investigation, describing this as a development that left “no hiding place”. 

“The truth that the Inquiry has found is that he attempted to interfere in an ongoing criminal investigation,” he said. 

“There is now no hiding place and this fresh misconduct is layered over previous excesses.” 

Mr Azopardi referred specifically to findings connected to the execution of a search warrant in Operation Delhi, saying Sir Peter Openshaw, whom he described as “an experienced High Court criminal judge with decades of experience”, found that Mr Picardo made a “grossly improper attempt to interfere in a legitimate police investigation and operation.” 

He highlighted that Sir Peter wrote: “That Mr Picardo still seeks to defend his actions, that he thinks he was within his rights is not mitigation.” 

“Indeed, it makes it much worse.” 

Mr Azopardi said the report contained “very grave findings”, including that Mr Picardo acted with “gross impropriety”, improperly disclosed confidential information, or “deliberately and cynically… misled” the Gibraltar Police Authority (GPA). 

He noted that the inquiry chairman found the Chief Minister compromised the independence of the GPA, and that he was “sinister” in using processes to bring about the dismissal of the former Commissioner of Police Ian McGrail “for reasons of his own”. 

Mr Azopardi said Sir Peter made clear he considered that the Chief Minister “crossed the line” on a number of occasions and criticised him for not respecting “proper boundaries of behaviour”. 

He also accused Mr Picardo of involving himself in discussions with lawyers for a suspect and seeking to assist that person of interest, describing this as conduct that was “clearly objectionable”. 

Mr Azopardi said the report addressed conflicts of interest involving what he described as the Chief Minister’s “friends and business partners”. 

He cited the report as stating it was “plainly not appropriate for Mr Picardo to tell the suspect, or his lawyer, what he believed the DPP had advised ...” and said the chairman noted how the “Chief Minister of Gibraltar is suggesting to the lawyer of a man who was then suspected of serious crime… how he might retrieve his client’s mobile from the police to prevent them from interrogating it…” 

Mr Azopardi said the report described that as an example of “gross impropriety” by Mr Picardo, adding that it noted: “That… the lawyer and indeed the suspect, were Mr Picardo’s great friends and business partners merely makes the position worse.” 

“All in all Mr Picardo was clearly breaking so many rules that his position is now untenable,” Mr Azopardi said, adding: “Is he above those rules?” 

Mr Azopardi focused in particular on what he described as the finding of an attempt to interfere with a criminal investigation, calling it “particularly grave” and saying it was “tantamount to conduct seeking to pervert the course of justice”. 

“That is profound in its implications,” he said. 

“It is so wrong as to affect any continuance in office.” 

He argued that, if a report of this nature emerged in the UK, “any UK minister would be compelled to resign”. 

And he repeated too that if ministers in Gibraltar accepted the Chief Minister remaining in office, they would be “becoming his accomplices, his cheerleaders”. 

“So, in speaking directly to every minister, to every leadership contender, I say think carefully or be forever associated with all this by the people on whose behalf you serve,” Mr Azopardi said. 

The Leader of the Opposition also criticised the Chief Minister for claiming to be “exonerated” after the report’s publication, describing that position as “fake and obviously unsustainable”. 

He said it was “frankly shocking” that Mr Picardo should “double-down” with what he described as “half-truths, twists and spin”, and said this spoke to “contempt for the truth”. 

Mr Azopardi said the issue went beyond any single episode and characterised the Government’s approach to politics. 

“There are many reasons why this GSLP Government should now be replaced,” he said. 

“And one of the biggest reasons is their now systematic and ruthless manipulation of the truth and their sheer recklessness in the face of democratic protections.” 

He said the approach he described “erodes trust” because, he argued, the Government “simply cannot be believed because of the way it conducts politics”. 

Mr Azopardi said the GSD respected the recommendations made by the chairman and would implement them in government, adding that the recommendations endorsed the Opposition’s long-standing criticism and calls for governance and conflicts of interest reforms. 

Mr Azopardi ended by urging collective action to deliver political change “as soon as democratically possible”, saying Gibraltar could not continue being governed in the way he described.