May 15 - Government Says It Will Stand Up For The Royal Gibraltar Police
The Government says that it totally rejects what it calls the “self-serving and untrue” version of events that the Guardia Civil Union AUGC has given of the incident that occurred at sea between the Royal Gibraltar Police and the Guardia Civil earlier this week.
The Government says that it is clear from the evidence available and an objective reading of international law that:
- the incident occurred in British Gibraltar Territorial Waters where the Guardia Civil have no jurisdiction and their actions are therefore plainly illegal;
- the Guardia Civil boarded a Gibraltar pleasure boat and proceeded to take executive action in waters which are not Spanish, rendering their actions unlawful;
- an officer of the Royal Gibraltar Police was injured as a result of the irresponsible and dangerous manoeuvres of the Guardia Civil officers who were obstructing our police by their trying to prevent the RGP from boarding the Gibraltar vessel, the occupants of which were lawfully seeking the assistance of the law enforcement body that has jurisdiction in those waters; and
- the Guardia Civil have kept the identification documents which belong to the two British Citizens who saw their vessel illegally boarded.
A statement issued this afternoon continued: “That is the reality which the AUGC appears to be seeking to hide behind a smokescreen of lies and innuendoes. Her Majesty's Government of Gibraltar will have no hesitation in setting the record straight, repeatedly if necessary, highlighting the lies of the AUGC and standing up for the actions of the Royal Gibraltar Police within BGTW now and in the future.”
The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, said: "The assets of the RGP at sea have been considerably increased during our time in office, with the addition of two interceptor vessels, two large patrol boats and several jet-skis. The officers who man these vessels do an excellent job in keeping us safe and in dealing with the very many serious drug trafficking operations that occur around us, co-ordinated by the organised criminal gangs in Southern Spain. Very often our police work in close co-operation with their Spanish Guardia Civil and SVA counterparts. Sometimes however it appears that a small number of rogue elements within the Guardia Civil are more intent on confrontation and on playing politics instead of concentrating in catching criminals. The good men and women of the RGP continue to take the moral high ground by continuing to work with their more sensible colleagues in the Guardia Civil and other Spanish law enforcement agencies where necessary. But we will not stand idly by whilst they are defamed. The Government commends the RGP and in particular the relevant officers involved for the way they handled matters on the day in question in an entirely proper manner and would once again like to place on record its thanks to the officers of the marine section of the Royal Gibraltar Police for the action that they took."
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