GSD accuses Govt of using RGP to ‘deflect’ attention after Inquiry criticism, drawing rebuttal from No.6 

The GSD on Monday accused the Gibraltar Government of attempting to deflect attention from the Chief Minister’s “failings” by focusing on the Royal Gibraltar Police, in a statement that drew an immediate rebuttal from No.6 Convent Place. 

The Opposition was reacting after the Government said it was “striking” that most of the recommendations made by Inquiry chairman Sir Peter Openshaw related to the RGP more “than any other organisation or person”. 

The Opposition noted too that Chief Minister Fabian Picardo had praised current leadership of the RGP in media comments, “implying that he is critical of the previous Command Team”.  

It said this was “part of the same tactic” and was “unfair” to the force and its senior officers who had worked “under extremely difficult conditions” over the past years, adding it was also contradictory to public statements by the previous Governor who had praised the RGP and its progress publicly in recent years.  

In a statement, the GSD said the RGP “should not be made scapegoats in this process”, adding it was “a disservice” to the force as an institution for the Chief Minister to “talk down” the police in a “desperate attempt at political survival”.  

“What is striking is the blatant attempt at passing the buck and attempt at distraction,” the GSD said. 

“As is obvious from the RGP’s own public submissions to the Inquiry the RGP asked the Inquiry chairman to make many recommendations in his report and he did.” 

“These recommendations were clearly specifically advanced to strengthen the RGP’s governance and accountability through the Gibraltar Police Authority, including the need for a revised and improved Police Act.” 

“For Mr Picardo to therefore misrepresent the number of recommendations made as somehow meaning that the focus should be turned from his own misconduct to police failings is perverse.” 

The GSD said it had already committed itself to implementing the Inquiry report’s recommendations but said their context and source “needs to be properly understood”.  

It insisted it was “deeply unfair” for the Government through Mr Picardo to “deflect responsibility and wash their hands of blame”.  

“For years the RGP were working under less than desirable conditions, owing in great part to being chronically under-resourced,” said Shadow Minister for Justice, Joelle Ladislaus. 

“This led to deployment of assets and resources to other areas, placing the Force under greater pressure.” 

“Throwing the RGP under the bus without taking any responsibility for some of those issues, or indeed not taking full responsibility for his own misconduct towards the police by attempting to interfere in a criminal investigation via grossly improper means does nothing to uphold the RGP as an institution or principles of good governance.” 

“The Government can’t attempt to escape the serious findings about the Chief Minister’s conduct in the Report by changing the subject.” 

GOVT REACTS 

Reacting to the GSD statement, the Government accused the Opposition of a “transparent effort” to ignore Sir Peter Openshaw’s “objective, independent findings” on the RGP, even while highlighting those relating to the Chief Minister. 

It said the GSLP/Liberal Government’s record of support for the RGP was “unmatched in Gibraltar’s history” and included record funding that had tripled from £5m to £15m since it took office in 2011. 

That investment had provided the resources, technology, and manpower necessary for modern policing and was in “stark contrast to the chronic under-resourcing seen under previous administrations”, No.6 said in a statement reacting to the GSD criticisms. 

The Government had also provided statutory recognition to the Gibraltar Police Federation, ensuring that officers had the right to professional representation and a voice, bringing Gibraltar in line with UK best practices, “a right that was denied to them for decades”.  

No.6 said the Government’s commitment to its officers was also evidenced by its decision to fully fund the legal representation and defence of RGP officers who were the subject of the Coroner’s Inquest into the 2020 collision at sea.  

“We support our officers when they are in the line of duty, both financially and institutionally,” No.6 said. 

The Government said it “makes no apology” for highlighting the criticisms contained in the Openshaw Report regarding the former Senior Management Team of the RGP.  

“The report is categorical in its criticism of the former SMT for a number of reasons, not least for remarkably failing to comply with its disclosure obligations, noting that the Inquiry proceeded without the ‘comprehensive disclosure’ the RGP had claimed to provide,” No.6 said. 

“To point out these specific, evidence-based failings is not ‘throwing the RGP under a bus’, it is a necessary part of the accountability required to ensure such failures never happen again.” 

The Government expressed its “full and absolute confidence” in the current leadership of the RGP adding that under the new Command Team, led by Commissioner Owain Richards, the RGP had shown “a constructive and professional approach” to the Inquiry’s findings.  

The Government said it was committed to working alongside the Commissioner and the Gibraltar Police Authority to ensure the RGP remains “a robust, independent, and well-resourced institution”.  

“The GSD’s narrative is a desperate attempt to ignore the fact that the Openshaw Report roundly rejected the ‘corrupt conspiracy’ theories which they were so keen to highlight,” said the Chief Minister. 

“We are not attacking the RGP or its officers; we are addressing the proven failures of a previous management team whose actions - including the failure to disclose critical evidence - were criticised by the chairman.”  

“My Government has tripled police funding and given officers a statutory Federation to protect their rights.” 

“We have already funded the legal defence of individual officers in the most difficult circumstances.” 

“We will not be lectured by an Opposition that failed to provide these basic protections when they were in power.” 

“We are moving forward with the implementation of these recommendations to strengthen our police force, while the GSD remains stuck in what happened six years ago.” 

“We are also working on the UK/EU Treaty, whilst Mr Azopardi seems to have his nose buried in the Inquiry report.”