Ian McGrail’s lawyer has today written to the Commissioner of the Royal Gibraltar Police (RGP) requesting that the investigation into the alleged inducement of witnesses is reopened. 

A statement from Charles Gomez, the former Commissioner of Police’s legal representative, continues: "This follows from the Principal Auditor’s shocking report published this week which concluded that a number of “ex-gratia” payments have been made to retiring RGP officers which have “not been justified by the Government” and therefore “there was no obligation for the Government to pay”. The Principal Auditor described these as “golden handshakes”. He accused the Government of acting unconstitutionally and against the law by not providing information and documents relating to the payments.

“Mr McGrail has long been concerned about what appears to be a secret Government scheme, personally administered by the Chief Minister, which offered (and may still be offering) jobs in the wider public service to up to 31 RGP officers, all of whom subsequently provided evidence which was critical of Mr McGrail to the Public Inquiry into his early retirement, chaired by Sir Peter Openshaw. The jobs appear to have been offered on a ‘no questions asked’ basis, without the provision of a C.V. or a position being open in the relevant public agency. It appears that offers were only made to witnesses who subsequently provided evidence which was critical of Mr McGrail.

“During the Main Inquiry Hearing in 2024, one former officer admitted his pension had been “puffed up” as a result of one such agreement, meaning he would receive a pension as if he had worked 27 years instead of 24, which it would appear would be worth at least tens of thousands of pounds he would not otherwise have been entitled to.

“It now appears that over £1m of ex-gratia payments may have been made to former RGP officers, many of whom appear to have also been transferred to wider public service jobs. 

“Mr McGrail has requested that the RGP investigate potential bribery, perverting the course of justice and misconduct in public office offences, and any others the RGP considers relevant. 

“If the RGP does not reopen the investigation, Mr McGrail will request that the Governor instigates an independent investigation into the Chief Minister’s scheme, which Mr McGrail considers to be corrupt and subject to a government cover up, given the findings of the Principal Auditor that he was not provided with relevant documents despite repeated requests to the Government.”