Caruana Names Holliday as Minister Linked to "Fabricated" Claims of Financial Wrong-Doing
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10 October, 2007 08:00
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In a move whose timing could not be more damaging to the credibility of the Caruana Government and its Minister of Many Hats Joe Holliday - who has claimed much of the credit for the multi-million pound "affordable" homes projects being developed by O.E.M. - Mrs Elaine Noonan has instituted proceedings to recover £22 million from Prime Trust, the financial arm of the development company. She has named her husband Robert, the OEM chairman, and Darren McCoombe who runs the Trust, in the action - alleging mismanagement and abuse of the trustees' powers.
Though papers in Mrs Noonan's action have been submitted to the Supreme Court, no date has yet been set for the hearing Mrs Noonan's lawyer, Brendan Murphy, of Triay, Stagnetto & Neish, told VOX yesterday. At the same time McCoombe - a former A.D.C. to the Governor and, with Noonan, the entrepreneur behind O.E.M. and FlyGibraltar (the failed airline which Holliday also trumpeted as a triumph) - denied any wrongdoing.
The unexpected move by Mrs Noonan, acting as a beneficiary of the Trust, prompted a series of anonymous allegations on the internet amid speculation that some of the cash loaned by the Trust to OEM had been misappropriated. The allegations - which both Noonan and McCoombe have denied - linked a senior member of Caruana's Government to the alleged scandal.
As rumours linking a senior member of the Caruana ministerial team to Mrs Noonan's allegations of abuse of the trust's funds snowballed, the Royal Gibraltar Police took the unusual step of denying ministerial involvement.
A statement issued by its media officer on Monday read: "The Royal Gibraltar Police is aware of rumours that are circulating in Gibraltar which purports to link a Minister with a Police inquiry. The Royal Gibraltar Police wishes to make clear that there is absolutely no truth in these rumours."
It did not name the Minister. However, either naively or intentionally, Caruana openly slammed "the vile text messages being circulated by a hired UK text messaging company saying that Joe Holliday has been involved in some financial wrong-doing, is being investigated and even arrested by the police." Caruana described the internet allegations as a "fabrication", but his naming of Holliday confirmed the rumours in local business and political circles that the Deputy Chief Minister was the target of accusations.
But the RGP intervention - in which many suspect Caruana to have been involved - may have backfired on the Government by bringing the unfounded allegations to a wider public...and raising the hackles of former RGP Chief Inspector Leo Olivero who yesterday claimed that in his 33 years with the police he could not recall the force "ever getting involved or coming out with any statement like this regarding a rumour/gossip, particularly so close to a General Election".
"Why the Royal Gibraltar Police has found it necessary to issue what I consider to be a high profile public statement a few days before a General Election to quash some village gossip regarding a Minister seems to me to be a more worrying factor than what ever rumour is going round itself," Olivero said.
"I rather think that the intelligence of Gibraltarians has again been put into doubt by this Police statement; this by wanting to quash or tamp down certain rumours which I suspect some people appear to think could pose an election disadvantage.
"I personally cannot recall in my 33 years police service, many of which I spent as police press officer and later as a senior officer, the force ever getting involved or coming out with any statement like this regarding a rumour/gossip, particularly so close to a General Election. I fail to understand the motive or purpose of this press release from the RGP, it's not as if there has been a massive public outcry of great concern, no one really needed reassuring by the police, particularly concerning this type of village natter that we similarly hear in Main Street on most days of the year.
"Gossip and idle talk have always been part of politics, Gibraltar thrives on gossip, don't we all know it, any social system needs gossip to remain intact, I'm not saying its good or I agree, but Gibraltar has always thrived on gossip and rumours, we are masters at it, we would be bored very quickly otherwise, gossip remember is what no one claims to like, but everyone enjoys, politicians included.
"The police would best serve everyone by not getting involved in this Pre-election tittle-tattle; instead the RGP should reassure the public if that is their aim, on the many other important policing issues of concern to community.
"At the end of the day, whatever is said in the gossip and rumour world about anyone or anything, people rightly or wrongly will make up their own minds, whoever thinks that any rumour or bit of gossip here and there can swing an election result knows very little of the intelligence of the Gibraltarian Electorate," he concludes optimistically.
And yesterday McCoombe told VOX "I don't know which politicians are behind the allegations." Problems with the Trust stemmed from the fact that he had wanted it transferred, he added. "There is no question of fraudulent activity linked to OEM or the Trust."
Though papers in Mrs Noonan's action have been submitted to the Supreme Court, no date has yet been set for the hearing Mrs Noonan's lawyer, Brendan Murphy, of Triay, Stagnetto & Neish, told VOX yesterday. At the same time McCoombe - a former A.D.C. to the Governor and, with Noonan, the entrepreneur behind O.E.M. and FlyGibraltar (the failed airline which Holliday also trumpeted as a triumph) - denied any wrongdoing.
ANONYMOUS ALLEGATIONS
The unexpected move by Mrs Noonan, acting as a beneficiary of the Trust, prompted a series of anonymous allegations on the internet amid speculation that some of the cash loaned by the Trust to OEM had been misappropriated. The allegations - which both Noonan and McCoombe have denied - linked a senior member of Caruana's Government to the alleged scandal.
As rumours linking a senior member of the Caruana ministerial team to Mrs Noonan's allegations of abuse of the trust's funds snowballed, the Royal Gibraltar Police took the unusual step of denying ministerial involvement.
A statement issued by its media officer on Monday read: "The Royal Gibraltar Police is aware of rumours that are circulating in Gibraltar which purports to link a Minister with a Police inquiry. The Royal Gibraltar Police wishes to make clear that there is absolutely no truth in these rumours."
It did not name the Minister. However, either naively or intentionally, Caruana openly slammed "the vile text messages being circulated by a hired UK text messaging company saying that Joe Holliday has been involved in some financial wrong-doing, is being investigated and even arrested by the police." Caruana described the internet allegations as a "fabrication", but his naming of Holliday confirmed the rumours in local business and political circles that the Deputy Chief Minister was the target of accusations.
But the RGP intervention - in which many suspect Caruana to have been involved - may have backfired on the Government by bringing the unfounded allegations to a wider public...and raising the hackles of former RGP Chief Inspector Leo Olivero who yesterday claimed that in his 33 years with the police he could not recall the force "ever getting involved or coming out with any statement like this regarding a rumour/gossip, particularly so close to a General Election".
PUBLIC STATEMENT
"Why the Royal Gibraltar Police has found it necessary to issue what I consider to be a high profile public statement a few days before a General Election to quash some village gossip regarding a Minister seems to me to be a more worrying factor than what ever rumour is going round itself," Olivero said.
"I rather think that the intelligence of Gibraltarians has again been put into doubt by this Police statement; this by wanting to quash or tamp down certain rumours which I suspect some people appear to think could pose an election disadvantage.
"I personally cannot recall in my 33 years police service, many of which I spent as police press officer and later as a senior officer, the force ever getting involved or coming out with any statement like this regarding a rumour/gossip, particularly so close to a General Election. I fail to understand the motive or purpose of this press release from the RGP, it's not as if there has been a massive public outcry of great concern, no one really needed reassuring by the police, particularly concerning this type of village natter that we similarly hear in Main Street on most days of the year.
"Gossip and idle talk have always been part of politics, Gibraltar thrives on gossip, don't we all know it, any social system needs gossip to remain intact, I'm not saying its good or I agree, but Gibraltar has always thrived on gossip and rumours, we are masters at it, we would be bored very quickly otherwise, gossip remember is what no one claims to like, but everyone enjoys, politicians included.
"The police would best serve everyone by not getting involved in this Pre-election tittle-tattle; instead the RGP should reassure the public if that is their aim, on the many other important policing issues of concern to community.
"At the end of the day, whatever is said in the gossip and rumour world about anyone or anything, people rightly or wrongly will make up their own minds, whoever thinks that any rumour or bit of gossip here and there can swing an election result knows very little of the intelligence of the Gibraltarian Electorate," he concludes optimistically.
And yesterday McCoombe told VOX "I don't know which politicians are behind the allegations." Problems with the Trust stemmed from the fact that he had wanted it transferred, he added. "There is no question of fraudulent activity linked to OEM or the Trust."
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