GSD accuses Govt of ‘misleading’ statements on police governance, as No.6 regrets ‘lamentable tone’ of Opposition criticism

The GSD says the Gibraltar Government response on police governance is “misleading, twitchy in the extreme and with a distinct element of culo de paja”.

The Opposition was reacting in the latest in a string of exchanges after the launch of a Steering Group on governance reforms to the Royal Gibraltar Police.

The GSD had previously said it was “sceptical” of a steering group established to review police governance mechanisms, adding it was surprised by the composition the group and the timing of its creation, particularly ahead of publication of the McGrail Inquiry report.

The group will be jointly chaired by the Governor and the Chief Minister.

Members will include the Minister for Justice, Nigel Feetham; the Attorney General, Michael Llamas; the Chief Secretary, Glendon Martinez; the Chair of the GPA, Peter Montegriffo; and the Commissioner of the RGP, Owain Richards.

Former Minister for Justice, Samantha Sacramento, will chair a working group that will report to the steering group.

The Government said the Opposition position “resembles a petty ‘law firm Game of Thrones,’ where including “obsessive” name-dropping of Hassans and its links to the Chief Minister, Justice Minister Nigel Feetham and Health Minister Gemma Arias-Vasquez.”

But the GSD replied that its statement had not mentioned any of those names or referred to any links – it had not - stating that the Government “thinks shadows have been mentioned when they haven’t”.

It rejected accusations of “constant attacks” on the GPA chairman, Mr Montegriffo.

“But clearly this is now a GSLP that has a real culo de paja on the subject and thinks shadows have been mentioned when they haven’t. People may ask why they are so nervous on that subject,” the GSD said.

“Nor was Mr Montegriffo mentioned specifically or still less ‘attacked’ in the GSD statement.”

The party said its concerns “were clearly about the timing and composition of a group which is heavily loaded towards the Government because four out of seven participants are drawn from the political or administrative Government Chief Minister, Minister for Justice, Attorney General, Chief Secretary”, adding some were core participants in the McGrail Inquiry.

“Even on that basic issue of raw numbers Mr Picardo has been downright misleading,” the GSD said.

The party said Mr Picardo had given the “impression that the Government was not in a majority” of the Steering Group during an interview on GBC.

The GSD quoted Mr Picardo from the GBC interview as saying: “How can anybody make the argument that if Michael and I are two out of five for example this is somehow weighted in our favour. It makes no sense.”

The GSD said a “clear implication of that misleading statement was that it was nonsense to suggest that the Government was in a majority when plainly it is”.

“It is obvious that the Government of Gibraltar, Chief Minister and Attorney General who are all core participants in the McGrail Inquiry also hold a majority in the seven-person Steering Group on Police Governance,” the Opposition said.

The party described how Mr Azopardi was informed late Thursday afternoon that a press statement on police governance would be issued but did not have advance sight of it.

“Subsequently on Thursday evening Mr Picardo during a GBC Viewpoint programme made clear that the ‘possibility existed’ that he would bring a Parliamentary Motion on the McGrail Inquiry if he disagreed with it like he has done with the Principal Auditor,” the GSD said.

“This would replicate the undermining and abuse of separate institutions.”

“Importantly and given that the McGrail inquiry may impact on police governance Mr Picardo’s comments ran counter to any notion that the Government would simply take on board recommendations on police governance that stem from the Inquiry in the context of its work in the Steering Group.”

The Leader of the Opposition, Keith Azopardi, described how this influenced the GSD consideration of the statement on police governance that issued last Friday afternoon.

“The GSLP have only themselves to blame for all this,” Mr Azopardi said.

“If their statements and actions were not constitutionally incoherent perhaps we would be less worried about the timing and composition of the Steering Group on Police Governance.”

“But when the Government is in a majority on the Steering Group and are openly saying they contemplate criticising the McGrail Inquiry Report there is a fair reason for concerns.”

“Finally, the GSD are not saying the Government cannot comment in Parliament on the Inquiry Report. It plainly can and should.”

“However, we are making the obvious distinction between commenting on the Report and bringing a Motion trashing the Inquiry Report and the Chairman like they are doing with the Principal Auditor.”

“The latter is an abuse of Parliament and erodes constitutional protections of the separate institutional checks and balances. Mr Picardo is a clever guy. He knows the differences. The fact that he misrepresents the situation is just to cover his tracks.”

“For all those reasons the GSD is absolutely right to remain deeply sceptical about GSLP control over a process of Police Governance coming before the McGrail Inquiry Report and before we know how Government react to the Report.”

In response, the Government said it noted the “lamentable tone and terms” of the latest GSD press release on police reform, which it considered police reform to be a serious and sensitive area. “

“It is important for the whole community and the police, in particular rank and file police officers,” the Government said.

The Government added it will continue to work with the Governor, the GPA and the rest of the Working and Steering Groups on this issue.

The statement continued that the Government will encourage the Working Group to continue to reach out to the GSD for their views on Tuesday.

“We welcome democratic debate and criticism, but it must be expressed with respect and substance,” Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, said.

“We urge the GSD to elevate the tone and contribute constructively to the political conversation.”