The GSD says it “stands by” its recent statement on the Attorney General’s decision.

A statement from the GSD follows below:

It is obvious that the Chief Minister has been dragged kicking and screaming to say today that he will issue a statement convening the McGrail Inquiry next week. It will be obvious to everyone that he has been forced to do so and that is well overdue. In July 2020 he said that the Inquiry would be convened “within weeks.” 19 months later it has still not  been convened and if the Chief Minister regrets the speculation as to the causes why then they are self-inflicted  

wounds. He had the opportunity to decisively and swiftly deal with this in 2020 as he had promised just after the  sudden departure of ex-Commissioner McGrail. 

As for the AG’s decision to halt the Bland-36 North case in the public interest the GSD stands by its statement that the  effect of this is to bury politically embarrassing facts for the Chief Minister and that the public interest exercise has not  been properly balanced.  

Leader of the Opposition, Keith Azopardi said: 

“People want justice when exercised to be seen to be done and for Ministers not to hide behind the public interest especially when important constitutional issues arise. Additionally when Ministers exercise statutory or constitutional power it needs to be subject to checks and balances. That is why we have been calling repeatedly for the McGrail  Inquiry that was promised 19 months. It is important for our democracy that the Inquiry be held independently. 

Equally when a case that contains embarrassing and potentially damaging facts to Mr Picardo is halted it is important  for the public interest evaluation to be balanced and to ensure that it cannot be seen that these facts have been buried  in the wake of the decision to the political advantage of the Chief Minister. Our view is that that is the effect [if not the  intention] of the decision. The protestations of Mr Picardo will sound totally self-serving to many people today.”