Spanish National Newspaper Forced to Rectify Accusations against Gibraltar
The Spanish national and regional "ABC" newspaper has rectified an article published on the 10th May 2015 suggesting that Gibraltar was uncooperative when it comes to tax information exchange.
Her Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar instructed Charles A Gomez & Co to file a claim for rectification under an expedited procedure under Spanish law for the correction of inaccurate news items. The "ABC" has duly complied by publishing an article setting out the various international legal instruments available both in Gibraltar and Spain for mutual exchange of fiscal information.
The retraction informs the "ABC"s readers that in the last 2 ½ years the Gibraltar Income Tax Department has received no less than 50 requests from the Spanish tax authorities, the majority of which have already been processed successfully. It reminds that in June 2013 Chief Minister Fabian Picardo wrote to the Minister of Hacienda, Cristobal Montoro asking for a bilateral agreement with Spain but that Montoro has never replied.
The retraction is a radical u-turn in a newspaper which, over the years has not missed an opportunity of criticising Gibraltar in a whole range of matters.
A previous article published in the 23rd February 2015 edition which connected Gibraltar to organised crime has led to the commencement of legal proceedings by the Gibraltar Government in a Madrid court. Again, this action is spearheaded by Charles A Gomez & Co. A trial date has been set for the end of the year.
Speaking to the Gibraltar Broadcasting Corporation Chief Minister Fabian Picardo said that these legal actions were meant to show the right wing Spanish press that their defamation of Gibraltar would no longer go unanswered.
He thanked the legal teams in Gibraltar and Spain for achieving this success in defence of Gibraltar's good name.
Spanish Newspaper ABC Rectifies Defamatory Claims Against Gibraltar
In Progress - The Legal Battle Continues Over Further Defamatory Claims
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