Joseph Garcia statement is a fabrication

Mr Joseph Garcia’s statement, on behalf of the Opposition accusing the Government of keeping information from the public about Andalus Airline to protect the Government’s alleged political interests, is a fabrication on his part, which ignores the explanations given to him in Parliament.

The Opposition has taken to asking very specific questions in Parliament about the tax affairs and other debts to Government of specific, individually named tax payers and members of the corporate community. The Government has informed the Opposition that it is not appropriate to publicise the affairs of individual citizens, human or corporate, in this way. This is equally applicable to Spanish Companies as to Gibraltarian individuals.

Exactly the same approach was taken in reply by the Government to questions in respect of other individually named and identified entities. Accordingly, Mr Garcia’s statement outside Parliament to the effect that the Government is motivated by a desire to withhold information to hide its policy shortcomings and in this way protect their own policy interests, is, as he well knows, untrue. The Government has no information to hide and no policy interest to protect in the case of Andalus Airline.

A Government spokesman said: ­“The Government will not succumb to political pressure to engage in bad and dangerous practices. Good Governments simply do not act in this way, but it is worth noting and remembering the GSLP/Liberals’ instincts and judgement in this regard. Thousands of Gibraltarians and others owe money to the Government in one form or another. If it were right for Government to do as Mr Garcia suggests it would be equally right to do the same in the case of any or all of the citizens of Gibraltar. It would only be appropriate to do so in the context of a specific, publicised and known “name and shame” scheme in respect of serious defaulters and offenders.