|
OT 279: Letter to the Chairman from Derek McGrail, VOX Editor, Gibraltar
On March 5 this year, the Chief Minister of Gibraltar Peter Caruana appeared before your committee. Although the main thrust of the questions put to him and the evidence he gave related to Gibraltar's status, our new Constitution and our "colonial/territory" relationship with Britain, Andrew Mackinlay, a member of your committee raised the question of Press freedom on the Rock.
This stemmed from an earlier hearing at which your committee had considered a letter from Clive Golt, Editor of the New People, in which he [Golt] claimed - with considerable justification - that he and his newspaper had been badly treated by Caruana and his Government. In the course of Caruana's, admittedly brief reply which came at the end of the session of your committee, the Chief Minister twice stated that he had not withdrawn advertising from any newspaper.
This is a lie. For many years, VOX enjoyed the support of government advertising. However, this was withdrawn on Caruana's personal orders more than two years ago, following an ill-chosen contribution to our web-site at which the short-fused Chief Minister took umbrage.
We enclose back issues of the newspaper which dealt with this, as well as a schedule of the material relating to Caruana's vendetta against this newspaper that appeared on our web-site (www.vox.gi), and extracts from the Hansard of our former House of Assembly (now Parliament) in which Caruana replied to Opposition questions on funding of Government advertisements and their withdrawal from VOX.[1]
We are sure that you and your committee will share our concern that the Chief Minister should lie to you so blatantly, and assume that you will wish to take the matter further with him.
We will be happy to supply you with any further details you may require and are quite prepared to appear before the committee to provide additional information or answer any questions you or the members of your committee may have.
[1] Not published. |