Publication of McGrail Inquiry report ‘may have to be further postponed’, Govt says 

The Gibraltar Government said on Wednesday that publication of the McGrail Inquiry may have to be postponed further than the envisaged date of early on the week of December 15. 

The Government had initially hoped to publish the report on December 5 but that date had to be pushed back after the Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, underwent emergency surgery for a detached retina. 

Given that Mr Picardo’s alleged actions were central to the Inquiry, the Government said it would have been “inappropriate and unfair” to publish the report when he was unable to address its findings publicly and respond to the anticipated debate. 

The hope was to publish it early next week but on Wednesday, No.6 Convent Place said this may not be possible. 

“Publication was postponed to early in the week of 15 December in the expectation that the Chief Minister would be fit and able to respond later that week to initial public comments issued by others following publication earlier in the week,” a spokesperson for No.6 Convent Place said.  

“Although the Chief Minister's recovery is progressing well, there is now doubt that he will be able to return to work during the week of 15 December as he had hoped.” 

“Should that turn out to be the case, publication may have to be further postponed according to his medical prognosis.” 

In recent days, the Opposition has called on the Government to provide it with an embargoed copy of the report, given that embargoed copies have been provided to both core participants, the Chronicle and GBC. 

Keith Azopardi, the Leader of the Opposition, said the Government was “minimising notice” to the GSD to “control the initial presentation” of the report. 

“How does the Government’s obsessive desire to massage every aspect of the publication process contribute to clarity on the report’s conclusions on the major issues of public interest that were raised in the Inquiry?” he said.  

“Or is it really more about nervousness as to what the report actually says?” 

But the Government said the GSD was seeking to “weaponise” the report even before it was published, adding that the document had been provided to certain parties and the media on the basis of an agreement with Inquiry chairman Sir Peter Openshaw. 

It added it would give the report to Mr Azopardi in line with UK practice where Inquiry reports are provided to Parliament with less than 24 hours’ notice, adding that Mr Azopardi would have “at least” that period before publication.  

“The Leader of the Opposition does not seem to understand that the Government is giving him more time to consider the report than he would have if he were the Leader of the Opposition in the United Kingdom,” No.6 said.  

“This actually tells a story which is the opposite of what Mr Azopardi is pretending.” 

“It shows that the Government in Gibraltar is prepared to allow him longer to study the report than he would have if he were in the mother of all parliaments in the United Kingdom.” 

“That alone demonstrates that Mr Azopardi's theory is completely wrong.”