Statement From Former Chairman Of The Gibraltar Police Federation Maurice Morello
Below follows a statement from former Chairman of the Gibraltar Police Federation, Mr Maurice Morello:
It is extremely regrettable that Mr McGrail’s legal team has seen it fit to make a public statement on matters which are currently the subject of an ongoing criminal investigation and consideration by the Public Inquiry. I did not wish to make this public statement as I was respectful of the both the ongoing Public Inquiry process and the ongoing criminal investigation, but as former Chairman of the GPF, I owe it to the individual members and former members of the GPF that have stepped forward to report alleged criminality and misconduct within the Royal Gibraltar Police, to correct the misinformation spouted by Mr McGrail’s legal team.
It is completely wrong to state that I or the GPF were in any way involved with any “potentially illegal inducements” offered to officers in exchange for evidence against Mr McGrail or generally against the RGP or any particular police officer.
That is simply not true and pure misinformation on behalf of Mr McGrail’s legal team.
No individual was ever approached by the GPF to provide statements of complaint. Instead, individual officers voluntarily approached the GPF with their complaints, for guidance and advice. These complaints alleged very serious criminality by officers of the Royal Gibraltar Police, such as, for example, corruption, entrapment, perverting the course of justice, theft and misuse of public funds, as well as disciplinary offences such as neglect of duty and bullying.
These are serious allegations of criminality and wrongdoing against members of the very organisation entrusted to enforce the law. Making complaints against the police whilst a serving police officer yourself is not an easy thing to do. It should come as no surprise to Mr McGrail’s legal team, or anyone else, that those officers stepping forward and whistleblowing would wish to seek every protection and assurance possible when doing so. As the Chairman of the GPF at the time, that is what I endeavoured to do. Specifically, I assisted the individualS in obtaining a letter of assurance from the Government that if their position became untenable as a result of their disclosure, that they would be transferred out of the RGP whilst retaining their salary and pension rights.
Contrary to what Mr McGrail’s legal team is trying to prejudice public opinion with, there was no “illegal deal”. Members of the RGP transferring out of the RGP to other jobs in the wider public sector is nothing new. Indeed, many are likely to know former police officers that for one reason or another have been moved in this way, for various reasons. This is also not a phenomenon unique to the RGP, I am aware, as I am sure many others will be, of similar transfers out occurring within the wider public sector generally, again for various reasons.
At the recent trial of Mr McGrail, his legal team had the opportunity to put their speculative allegations to the test in the cross-examination of the complainant and other witnesses, including the Senior Investigative Officer Mr John McVea and myself. Indeed, the letter of assurance in respect of the complainant was before the court and available for the scrutiny of Mr McGrail’s legal team.
When questioned on the letter of assurance Mr McVea was reported by GBC on 7 th June 2023 as saying, in his evidence under oath, that “he had no concerns surrounding the integrity of the evidence of the complainant, or about the letter which assured her of whistleblowing protections”.
Such was the vacuous nature of these speculative allegations that, as reported by GBC on 12 th June 2023, in the Stipendiary Magistrate’s judgment at the end of the case and after Mr McGrail’s legal team had the opportunity to scrutinise and test the letter of assurance and the surrounding circumstances of its issue, “there was no evidence of inducement given to [the complainant] for giving her evidence and that the letter offered only the whistle blowing protections that are offered under law”.
In fact, in some cases, leaving the force, even if on the same financial terms, was no inducement to officers at all. This is because to many policing was their vocation, a job they long aspired to and were passionate about. In making their complaints many have felt that, for various reasons, they are no longer able to remain within the organisation doing the job they loved and therefore have had to give up their careers in policing. Giving up your career, that you are passionate about, is no inducement.
Finally, I agree with Mr McGrail’s legal team that those that are responsible for illegality should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law, but on misinforming the public on imaginary “illegal deals”, which in respect of one complaint has already been publicly judicially determined not to have been any inducement at all (illegal or otherwise), Mr McGrail’s legal team seem to be content in overlooking, or divert attention from, the substantive complaints alleging very serious criminality and wrongdoing made against former and current officers of the Royal Gibraltar Police, which in my view is where the public interest lies. These are matters which require investigation, and it will be for the RGP investigating team to decide where, if anywhere, they lead, without unnecessary and speculative distractions.
I will be providing my account of my involvement in these matters to the Royal Gibraltar Police in its
investigation.
