Police asked to investigate derogatory tweet from Parliament account

Police have been asked to investigate a tweet purportedly sent from the Gibraltar Parliament’s official account suggesting, in derogatory language, that Speaker Melvyn Farrell had been nudged out of the job.

Mr Farrell’s retirement was announced by the Gibraltar Government earlier this week in a statement that said he had stepped down despite being asked by the Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, to stay on.

His successor, Puisne Judge Karen Ramagge Prescott, has the support of both the Chief Minister and the Leader of the Opposition, Keith Azopardi, who had discussed it with Mr Picardo prior to the announcement.

But the controversial post, which was posted as a reply to a tweet on the announcement from Mr Azopardi, used sexual language to imply that the two political leaders had moved to oust Mr Farrell.

The tweet was swiftly deleted but a screengrab was widely circulated on messaging apps in Gibraltar.

“The Clerk of the Parliament, following discussions with the Chief Secretary, has referred this matter to the RGP for investigation,” a spokesperson for No.6 Convent Place said.

The government said it would make no further comment at this stage.

It was not clear yesterday whether the tweet had been posted by someone with access to the account, or whether it had been hacked.