29 Nov, 2024 @ 18:30
2 mins read

‘No police in Gibraltar will ever investigate anyone powerful ever again’: Upcoming McGrail Report will have ‘chilling’ effect on new police chief

THE new Gibraltar Commissioner of Police will start the role in the shadow of the upcoming McGrail report.

The current top police officer, Richard Ullger – who stepped into the role after Ian McGrail was forced to retire in June 2020 – is set to retire himself in April.

Meanwhile, the highly anticipated McGrail Report into the circumstances surrounding the latter’s forced exit is set to land ‘unless any unforeseen contingency arises’ in ‘late spring 2025’.

Legal sources on the Rock told the Olive Press that the effect of the report will be chilling on law enforcement.

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Current Gibraltar Commissioner of Police Richard Ullger is set to retire in April

“Not just any future Commissioner of Police – no police officer will ever dare go after any powerful person in Gibraltar ever again,” said one senior figure.

“They’ll read that report and they’ll know what the rules are.”

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Its arrival will follow a lengthy ‘Maxwellisation process’ in which any party set to be criticised in retired judge Sir Peter Openshaw’s report will have the chance to respond ahead of publication.

The grand scope of the inquiry heard evidence from officers of the Royal Gibraltar Police, high-ranking members of the government – including the Chief Minister – and senior lawyers at Hassans law firm.

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The Royal Gibraltar Police is searching for a new Commissioner

So the news that Openshaw has set aside three months for the parties to digest and respond to criticism will likely have a few powerful individuals on the Rock squirming.

“Yes, it suggests that at least a few people are going to receive some gloves-off of criticism,” another source told this newspaper.

READ MORE: Spain’s ‘rogue police chief’ makes formal complaint against his own bosses to force Schengen controls on Gibraltar border

“However, the ‘Maxwellisation process’ is actually a way to put those gloves back on.”

The inquiry has also received ‘additional evidence’ since the hearings ended in June, throwing another spanner into the works for those wondering what to anticipate.

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The new police chief will start under the chilling shadow of the McGrail Report

The recruitment panel for the new Commissioner will be looking for someone ‘??at the rank of UK chief officer, or UK superintendent or Gibraltar or other equivalent’ with a ‘proven track record of leadership and management in a senior police role.’

However they have also said they’ll consider applicants from British nationals plus citizens of Australia, Canada and New Zealand.

In light of the murky waters stirred by the McGrail affair, some on the Rock are calling for a new commissioner to come in from abroad.

However, others argue that an outsider will lack the acute knowledge of the territory and the nuanced relationship with Spain necessary to operate effectively.

Walter Finch

Walter Finch, who comes from a background in video and photography, is keen on reporting on and investigating organised crime, corruption and abuse of power. He is fascinated by the nexus between politics, business and law-breaking, as well as other wider trends that affect society.
Born in London but having lived in six countries, he is well-travelled and worldly. He studied Philosophy at the University of Birmingham and earned his diploma in journalism from London's renowned News Associates during the Covid era.
He got his first break in the business working on the Foreign News desk of the Daily Mail's online arm, where he also helped out on the video desk.
He then decided to escape the confines of London and returned to Spain in 2022, having previously lived in Barcelona for many years.
He took up up a reporter role with the Olive Press Newspaper and today he is based in La Linea de la Concepcion at the heart of a global chokepoint and crucial maritime hub, where he edits the Olive Press Gibraltar edition.
He is also the deputy news editor across all editions of the newspaper.

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