Feb 10 - GSD Says Politically Motivated Giraldi Inquiry Vindicates Its View While Showing “Utter Contempt” For Local Authorities
The Opposition says it has read and digested the “thorough and comprehensive” Report produced by Sir Jonathan Parker in relation to the Dr Giraldi Home Inquiry.
There can be no doubt, says the GSD, that Sir Jonathan’s findings “completely vindicate” the position of the GSD throughout what it describes as an “unfortunate saga.” This is so, according to the GSD, because all allegations of abuse in the Dr Giraldi Home (including those contained in the witness statements obtained by Ms Hernandez, when Mr Picardo was her lawyer, for her unfair dismissal claim) were properly investigated by the Social Services Agency at the time; that those of a criminal nature were referred to and investigated as appropriate by the Royal Gibraltar Police; and that neither the Chief Minister nor the Minister for Social Affairs at the time (Sir Peter Caruana and Yvette Del Agua respectively) in any way attempted to cover up or prevent any allegation from being investigated properly and in accordance with due process and the rule of law. The GSD stresses that Sir Jonathan “could not have been more categorical in his findings” when he states: “I accept, without qualification, the evidence of Yvette Del Agua, Jaime Netto and Sir Peter” and also when he states that Joe Bossano’s suspicions were “unfounded in every respect”.
The fact that the GSD says it has been vindicated, however, is not something that the Opposition says it wishes to gloat on or give more importance to than is merited. What the Opposition insists it does consider unfortunate and “an utter disgrace” however, is the refusal by the then GSLP/Liberal Opposition to believe the word of Gibraltar’s highest Authorities, including the RGP and the Chief Minister at the time.
The Opposition says that it will be recalled that the GSLP/Liberals, “purely for their own cynical and partisan political ends, relentlessly propagated and exploited the allegations publicly, both locally and in Spain.” As a consequence, says the party, the names and reputations of many hard-working employees at the Dr Giraldi Home “were dragged through the mud unnecessarily, causing them, the residents of the Home and the families of both employees and residents, undue suffering and anguish.”
The Opposition is of the view that those Members of the Government who participated in the programme “Espejo Publico” in Spain, in which the Dr Giraldi Home was described as ‘the House of Horrors’, “should now do the decent thing and inform Antena 3 of the outcome of the Inquiry.” Every attempt should be made, says the Opposition, to try and undo some of the “untold damage” that was inflicted on the Home, its residents and its employees, and to restore the reputation in Spain of the RGP and the Attorney General, whose respectability and professionalism, argues the GSD, were called into question during the programme.
The Opposition also notes Sir Jonathan’s findings regarding Joanna Hernandez and finds these to be to be highly revealing. According to the GSD, many of Sir Jonathan’s descriptions of Joanna Hernandez’s shortcomings as Manager serve to exonerate the decision of the Social Services Agency to not renew her contract, adding that Sir Jonathan found that “Joanna Hernandez’s bullying manner often resulted in members of staff not turning up for work or taking time off due to stress”.
The GSD also argues that the “inexplicable delay”, of over a year, in relation to the investigation into claims of bullying against Ms Hernandez by 35 trainees is a cause of great concern and, no doubt, to the 35 trainees themselves. It is regrettable, says the Opposition, that the Chief Minister, who was personally responsible for calling the Dr Giraldi Home Inquiry, and who had “no apparent qualms” in getting personally involved in the recent investigation into allegations of bullying against the RGP, is now so reluctant to get involved in the bullying investigation against Joanna Hernandez and, instead, “persists in a perfunctory passing of the buck” to the Chief Secretary.
The very least the Chief Minister could do in this regard, says the GSD, is ensure that the investigation into the claims by the 35 employees is “concluded in a timely fashion and in a manner consistent with the principles of fairness and natural justice.” Whether it is acceptable or, indeed, proper for the Chief Minister to pretend to wash his hands of any overseeing or monitoring responsibility in relation to the bullying allegations against Joanna Hernandez, is a matter for the electorate to decide, says the GSD, particularly so in the context of the Giraldi Inquiry.
Finally, the Opposition concludes that the £2.6 million Giraldi Inquiry was “an unnecessary, politically-motivated exercise” that could have easily been avoided had the GSLP/Liberals not “demonstrated such utter disregard and contempt for the unequivocal and categorical confirmation by the highest Authorities in Gibraltar, that all of the allegations had been investigated and appropriate action had been taken at the proper times.”
A statement from the party ended:
“The electorate will be able to decide for itself whether the damage and detriment to the Dr Giraldi Home, its employees, its residents, and Gibraltar as a whole, precipitated by the GSLP/Liberals wilful ignoring of the truth and preference for a cynical, politically expedient exploitation of the Dr Giraldi affair, was worth it.
“The Leader of the Opposition will be using one of the GSD party political broadcasts to address the Nation on this and other issues, which will demonstrate this Government is not worthy of the trust of this Community.”
