Local boat owners are seriously thinking of arming themselves.....

Real Concern With Local Boat Owners By Leo Olivero These latter words from one of the persons involved in Saturday’s incident is echoed by many other people from the boating fraternity. In fact so serious is the situation that some boat owners are seriously thinking of arming themselves i.e., flare guns etc. against one of these unprovoked, agressive and illegal attacks by the Guardia Civil. In fact I am told that GC vessels frequently stop and harass local boats in BGTW. Many owners of boats feel intimidated or are afraid to report these incidents for fear of reprisals and the fact that the protection is just not there. It doesn’t help either when there is an element of doubt from your own police when you’re brave enough to report these serious incidents. Police Investigation The last thing we were told by the RGP, when we contacted them, was that they were investigating this serious incident. Although I do not want to question the police investigation, the interview with the owner of the boat concerned has raised some important questions. The RGP it seems also took footage of the chase, which must be helpful. We also now know that a photo was taken by the RGP of the local boat that demonstrates that there was contact. The part of the boat where the impact is visible confirms (see our own photo) that the GC vessel was the agressor and repeatedly rammed the local boat. It has also been confirmed that statements were taken by the RGP of the people directly involved. QUESTIONS However, it appears other important elements directly related with such a serious investigation seems to be missing or have not yet been completed, for example: · Why did the police not check the owner’s GPS tracking history of that morning when they were offered this information by the owner of the boat? · Has the police investigation included the taking of paint scrapings from the owner’s boat to see if it matches the GC vessel’s well-known green colours hull paint? · Has a request been made to the Spanish authorities to take photographs of the GC vessel, which as we were told had been damaged? Possible That Windmill Hill Saw Nothing Wouldn’t be the First Time! And on another important point, why should the police tell the owner of the boat that if Windmill Hill signal station did not pick them up on their radar they must have been outside BGTW. Why is that information so fundamental to the RGP in deciding about positions of boats in BGTW? Are we talking here, about the same Windmill Hill signal station that last month missed over a period of three days a 2-ton block of concrete from a protected area of Gibraltar being lifted from the seabed with the help of a surface boat and drag ged deep into Spanish waters! Even the Gib Squadron arrived at the scene on Saturday when it was all over with only a Rhib instead of on one of their larger patrol vessels. Did Windmill Hill translate an accurate picture to the squadron of what was occurring when they sent out a rubber boat to tackle a large Spanish GC vessel involved in a serious incident? If all this is true, someone at the RGP has made a poor assessment of this incident, because I for one would like to know, just what kind of an investigation has been conducted? This is serious stuff we are talking about here, where a neighbouring hostile paramilitary force is terrorising innocent locals in their own waters and nothing from a UK perspective is happening to stop it. Even the confusing manner in which the importance of this incident was not to receive the public attention it deserved, is a reflection of what I have just said. Even the Government made no statement on the incident on Monday, waiting till Tuesday to react. Other local press were none too sure what to report, except Panorama. The Convent for their part made a statement after Panorama requested it, which by then Windmill Hill must have confirmed that the incident happened in BGTW after all! The question now is what will be the reaction from the British Government, questions that Panorama are now demanding answers to! 14-08-14 PANORAMAdailyGIBRALTAR