Govt demands answers in spat over members’ interests

The Gibraltar Government has again questioned the GSD in the wake of the spat over Albert Isola’s later filing of his declaration of members’ interests in Parliament.

The GSD had criticised the government minister for not filing his form until six months after the last general, although legally there is no time frame.

It subsequently emerged, however, that GSD MP Elliott Phillips had filed his form just two weeks earlier.

After the GSD raised the issue and prompted controversy after linking it to Mr Isola’s interest in a company that appeared in the Panama Papers, the government hit back with a series of pointed questions.

Yesterday, it repeated them and demanded answers.

“Was Daniel Feetham aware that Elliott Phillips filed his Declaration of Interest form six months late?” it asked.

“If not, when and from whom did Mr Feetham find out that Mr Phillips had filed his Declaration of Interest form late?”

“Given how negatively Mr Feetham considered that Mr Isola's late filing of his Declaration of Interest form should be viewed, what actions is he considering taking against Mr Phillips in respect of his own ‘woefully late’ filing of his Declaration of Interest form?”

The government said the lack of a response from the GSD suggested Mr feetham had “no idea” that Mr Phillips had filed his form only a fortnight before the GSD slated Mr Isola’s tardiness.

“It would have been very odd indeed for Mr Feetham to have criticised Mr Isola if he knew that his GSD colleague had taken exactly the same actions,” No 6 Convent Place said in a statement.

“The Government can only assume that Mr Phillips had failed to tell the Leader of the Opposition that he had hadn't submitted his Declaration of Interests on time or, even worse that he had lied to Mr Feetham on this subject.”

“What other logical explanation is possible? After two weeks, Gibraltar's fair-minded people are still waiting for answers to the questions above.”