[ad_1]
HASSANS senior partner James Levy finally gave evidence at the McGrail Inquiry today.
The Queen’s Counsel went toe-to-toe with another heavyweight barrister, Patrick Gibbs, a high-profile barrister who helped actor Kevin Spacey get rid of sexual assault charges in London last year.
Gibbs kept asking the witness about the missing Whatsapp messages between him, Chief Minister Fabian Picardo and Attorney General Michael Llamas before and after May 12, 2020.
That same day, the Royal Gibraltar Police attempted to execute a search warrant on Levy, which ultimately led to the early retirement of Police Commissioner Ian McGrail four weeks later.
Levy told investigators that his phone, which held the required information, had “crashed” and technical experts were unable to recover it.
It is believed that the missing information could help reveal whether Levy improperly influenced his close friend Picardo to interfere with the police investigation.
Levy admitted that he called Picardo shortly after police showed up at Hasan’s office with a search warrant.
“I called the chief minister and told him I was on my way to the office to process a warrant, but the conversation lasted only two minutes, maybe less,” he said.
He clarified that he then called “a couple of friends because I was so shocked.”
But he explained that he called the first minister a “friend”, adding that “I didn’t expect anything to happen.”
“I was very upset, but I knew how to control myself. I wished Picado would not do anything.”
Levy then admitted that five days later he met with Picardo and his lawyer, Lewis Baglietto, another close friend of Picardo, at the chief minister’s residence.
While Levy claimed he “expressed his opinion of how I was being treated,” he claimed the trio did not discuss the search warrant or cross any “red lines.”
“Frankly, I have enough experience, having been the partner of a first minister for 16 years and deputised for another first minister for another eight years, that I know where the line is.
When asked what the red line was, Levy responded: “Be careful not to ask for any information that is not already public.”
read more: Spain and UK agree ‘general political line’ on post-Brexit Gibraltar deal
Asked whether his text message to the attorney general the day after the raid, in which he claimed he was “left hanging”, meant he expected to be protected, he replied “not at all”.
“I expected the police to treat me fairly, but that was not the case.”
“Are you the most powerful lawyer in Gibraltar?” Gibbs asked him.
“Of course not,” he replied. “I am the senior partner of the largest law firm, yes, but that doesn’t mean I am the most powerful lawyer in Gibraltar.”
Gibbs pressed: “Do you think you are above the law?”
“Of course not, I don’t understand how you could even suggest that,” Levi said angrily.
Gibbs went on to ask, “Do other lawyers have more political power than you?”
“Of course,” Levi said evasively. “But I won’t say their names.”
Levy subsequently reiterated explicitly on several occasions that the police investigation was “fundamentally flawed, primarily because it was not police-led.”
He added: “I hope to reveal its fundamental flaws.”
More to come...
[ad_2]
Source link
