John Culatto
GIBRALTAR’S Governor said it was ‘innappropriate’ to comment on a letter send by almost two dozen whistleblowers that have accused the Royal Gibraltar Police of making their lives difficult.
Some 22 former and currently serving officers made the claims in an astonishing open letter to the Governor and Police Authority.
The group are demanding an independent inquiry and say they have made their letter public ‘to protect themselves from further persecution and harassment’.
The Convent said in a statement to GBC that the evidential threshold for Sir David Steel to take action is especially high.
The letter claims eight of the whistleblowers have been arrested while five others have been questioned, but none charged.
The missive accuses police of making the arrests to silence, intimidate and punish the officers, adding that they “have had their homes and persons searched”
It claims they had property and mobile phones “seized illegally” and examined for “reasons unrelated to their arrests.”
The letter added: “The disclosures made by these brave individuals disclose systemic issues within our law enforcement agency, and they have done so at a great personal risk to themselves and their families.
“As concerned citizens, we strongly believe that it is crucial to address these allegations promptly and ensure a fair and transparent investigation.
“Therefore, we respectfully request that you initiate an independent inquiry by an external Home Office Force, into these whistleblower disclosures.”
Specific details of the alleged crimes were not included in the letter.
The whistleblowers had initially come forward as part of the inquiry into the early retirement of Ian McGrail.
McGrail demanded an independent probe after claiming Chief Minister Fabian Picardo had a part to play in the decision of the former interim governor Nick Pyle to sack him.
Since new governor Sir David Steel launched the investigation, scores of officers have come forward to allege misconduct in the force during McGrail’s time as commissioner.
However the inquiry has said it will not be looking into allegations of misconduct during McGrail’s tenure, leaving the accusations made by the whistleblowers without an answer.
“We will not comment on the letter or any related criminal investigation,” the Royal Gibraltar Police told The Olive Press.
It follows GBC revelations on November 24 that police chiefs had removed three more officers from their duties following an investigation into two past criminal offences.
The offences only came to light during a separate unrelated investigation by a professional standards team.
A UK law enforcement agency provided the information to start the investigation while a former officer was helping out in the inquiries, according to GBC.
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