Defendants & JL Side
Operation Delhi
The story of operation Delhi is a story about the line the separates commercial rivalry from criminal activity, and an investigation that may have, according to those affected, been tainted from its inception. HAIME and COOPER EXTRACTS
McGrail Inquiry Explained
The narrative begins not with covert operations or secret intelligence but with a meeting. A meeting between James Gaggero and Ian McGrail, CEO of the Bland group and ex-commissioner of the RGP respectively. Gaggero explained to McGrail that he was being cheated out of 2 things that he OWNED – The National Security Software (NSCIS) and the contract for its maintenance. (MCGRAIL TESTIMONY)
The conspiracy was explained as follows: Thomas Cornelio and John Perez, employed by the Bland Group and in charge of designing and running the NSCIS software, had created a competing company with Caine Sanchez and James Levy, to cheat Blands out of the NSCIS maintenance contract. The Company was called 36 North, a part of which was owned by Hassans and several of its partners.
According to Ian McGrail’s testimony, when Fabian Picardo found out about James Gaggero’s claim that he was being defrauded and that his company was being subject to sabotage, the Chief Minister took these allegations very seriously. He pushed for a detailed examination of the allegations, which McGrail interpreted as adding urgency to the situation and potentially influencing the scope and direction of the police investigation. This was particularly evident in how the investigation quickly escalated in terms of resources and the level of scrutiny applied.
However, while the Bland Group clearly operated the NSCIS platform, the evidence provided thus far does not confirm that it owned it. What we do know is that the development of the software was paid for by Government, and that there was no written contract establishing the commercial relationship between Blands and Government.
But something remains unexplained. How does a mundane dispute between two commercial titans – the Bland Group and Hassans – turn into a suspicion of sabotage and a threat to national security?
Under Ian McGrail’s watch, Operation Delhi escalated from investigating corporate misconduct to probing a potential threat to national security. The stakes were raised, and the spectre of danger was cast over the entire nation, but was this threat justified?
As the operation unfolded, the original defendants—Cornelio, Perez and Sanchez—were arrested and charged. Yet, notably, they faced accusations by the RGP only of “conspiracy to defraud Bland Group”, not of endangering Gibraltar or sabotaging its critical systems. This key detail raises questions: Was the alleged sabotage of the NSCIS platform a real threat, or was it a narrative constructed to justify a deeper investigation into Gaggero’s commercial rivals?
The sabotage allegations were later investigated by an independent forensic team, but the result of the investigation was never scrutinised in court due to a “Nolle Prosequi”. What we do know, is that this Nolle Prosequi, which abruptly ended proceedings against Sanchez, Cornelio and Perez, was executed in a case of “conspiracy to defraud”.
In other words, they were never prosecuted for sabotage or for creating or posing a threat to national security.
James Levy, a prominent lawyer and senior partner at Hassans, found himself at the center of the storm. A partner in 36 North Limited (as was the firm Hassans and several other partners, such as Fabian Picardo), a company formed by the former Bland Group employees, Levy became a person of interest and eventually a suspect. The decision to issue a search warrant against him sparked a flurry of legal and ethical debates.
Critics contend that the warrant was flawed. They argue it was based more on Levy’s professional associations than on concrete evidence of wrongdoing. The procedural rigour, essential in justifying such a drastic legal action, was reportedly absent, failing to demonstrate convincingly that probable cause existed against Levy himself.
The fundamental motive for the search warrant against James Levy, recognised by all parties to be a problematic move considering his profession and the most heavy-handed of all the options available, was built on the premise that there was a risk that Mr Levy would destroy evidence if he was given a chance to. However, the original defendants of operation Delhi had been very publicly arrested close to a year prior, having given Mr. Levy ample time to destroy any incriminating evidence.
Moreover, one of the key points uncovered in the inquiry is the fact that McGrail lied to the AG and the CM when he explained that the search warrant had been advised by the DPP
Furthermore, a search warrant was widely considered to be a very impractical move, as it would have demanded some form of neutral, legal mediation to protect the many thousands of emails and messages contained in Levy’s devices which were private protected by legal privilege. A process that would have been extremely challenging and
The final issue relates to the reputational consequences of taking such drastic actions against a prominent figure in Gibraltar’s establishment. This situation echoes the accusations that McGrail faced repeatedly during his career—accusations made by the government of a reckless approach to policing that frequently resulted in diplomatic conflicts and reputational damage to the jurisdiction.
This story, woven through digital communications and corporate boardrooms, invites us to ponder the intersection of business interests with law enforcement. How did a commercial dispute veer into the realms of national security?
Was Operation Delhi a genuine effort to protect Gibraltar, or was it a manoeuvre to crush competition under the guise of public safety?
In the heart of this intrigue lies a complex web of motivations and decisions, each influencing the other under the watchful gaze of the Rock. As the inquiry unfolds, so too will the mystery of Operation Delhi and the efforts by this blog to help you understand every thread of the story.
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