A damning public inquiry has concluded that the Chief Minister of Gibraltar, Fabian Picardo, made a series of "grossly improper" and "sinister" interventions to interfere with a live police investigation. The aim was to shield his friend, mentor, and business partner from the execution of a search warrant.
"A Towering Rage" Over a Search Warrant
The retired High Court judge Sir Peter Openshaw, who chaired the inquiry, detailed the events of May 2020. He found that when Royal Gibraltar Police (RGP) officers arrived at the Hassans law firm with a warrant for senior partner James Levy KC, Picardo summoned the police commissioner, Ian McGrail, to his office.
Picardo was in a "towering rage" and "berated" the commissioner. Sir Peter ruled this was a "grossly improper attempt to interfere in a legitimate police investigation and operation." The warrant was part of a probe into an alleged plot to steal a state security contract, though Levy was never charged.
Protecting a Friend, Not Gibraltar
The inquiry firmly rejected Picardo's defence that he was acting to protect Gibraltar's reputation. "I think it far more likely that he was moving to protect Mr Levy, his life-time friend and 'mentor', from the likely consequences of the warrant being executed or his phones being interrogated," Sir Peter stated.
He highlighted a "very high risk" of Picardo's ministerial duties conflicting with his personal interests in protecting Levy. The two men held equity interests in 36 North Limited, a firm linked to the security contract under scrutiny, through the Hassans firm.
"Sinister" Sharing of Confidential Information
Further improper conduct was identified. The inquiry found Picardo shared confidential information with Levy's lawyer about what he believed was the Director of Public Prosecutions' advice on the warrant. He also disclosed details about police disciplinary regulations, which Sir Peter described as "sinister" and seemingly aimed at targeting Commissioner McGrail or the senior investigating officer.
Despite these actions, the judge noted they did not "in fact interfered" with the police search, which proceeded as planned.
The Real Reason Behind a Commissioner's Exit
The inquiry's remit was to establish whether Commissioner McGrail was forced out after retiring just a month after the incident. While Picardo and the then interim governor cited a loss of confidence over various issues, Sir Peter found the "real reason" was the warrant application against Levy and Picardo's mistaken belief that McGrail had lied about the DPP's advice.
"He was, in effect, being forced out," Sir Peter concluded, citing procedural failures and the fact McGrail knew the chief minister and governor had lost confidence in him unfairly.
In response to the report, Fabian Picardo claimed the government had been "completely exonerated," pointing to the finding of no actual interference with the police operation. The inquiry's findings, however, paint a stark picture of improper political conduct at the highest level of Gibraltar's government.
