The Government has issued a statement in reply to the GSD over the drafting of the proposed conflicts of interests legislation.

A statement from the Government follows below:

The Government is once again disappointed, but not surprised, that the GSD have chosen to double down on their unwarranted and unreasonable attack on the Government and the independent lawyer Mr Greenberg as a result of his drafting the Conflicts of Interests legislation. 

Mr Greenberg is the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards in the UK House of Commons. He is at the top of his field on these matters and is well-acquainted with the Openshaw report, its findings and the context of its recommendations. 

The Government has full confidence in his professionalism. Remarkably, the GSD have also asserted that they do not challenge Mr Greenberg's unimpeachable independence whilst criticising that he should have been chosen for the drafting work. 

The Government, therefore, has no doubt that if there was any potential for conflict to arise from his involvement, Mr Greenberg would not have accepted the instruction. 

The contradictions in the GSD position are obvious, palpable and a demonstration of why Mr Azopardi is entirely wrong to have pursued this attack. 

These kinds of underhand political tactics don’t do the GSD, Mr Azopardi, or the Gibraltar that he claims to want to serve, any favours. 

Indeed, Mr Azopardi should consider that if, by his argument, those who have ever had any professional relationship with the Government of Gibraltar are guilty by association, so too is he. He has acted for the GSLP Liberal administration and earned many hundreds of thousands of pounds in doing so and sought £400,000 to take the job of Solicitor General. 

If Mr Azopardi is concerned about appearances and perception, he may want to take a long, hard look in the mirror. He may not like what he sees staring back at him.