Mayor says Labour councillors approved the proposed trip

San Gwann mayor Helen Fenech yesterday said that Labour councillors had approved the decision taken by her council to book a trip to Tunisia for the council orchestra, which led to the loss of a Lm4,000 deposit.

Ms Fenech said the final option was actually proposed by one of the Labour councillors.

The Labour Party had said on Saturday that when only seven people booked a trip to Tunisia, organised for the San Gwann council orchestra, the mayor cancelled the trip and, rather than lose the deposit, had arranged with the company that ran the hotel in Tunisia to use the money locally on its hotels and catering services.

According to the Labour councillors, the company had therefore received Lm4,000 without submitting a tender.

In her statement yesterday, Ms Fenech said she could not understand the objections when the proposals were approved by the same councillors, who had voted in favour of the initiative from the outset.

She said the San Gwann council orchestra had the opportunity to play abroad for the first time and perform three concerts in Tunisia. The idea was welcomed by the musicians and 26 of them applied to go.

Ms Fenech said the council, including Labour councillors, agreed to organise a trip to accompany the members of the orchestra. The cost of the trip was discussed at another meeting and again agreed on.

The deposit for flights and half-board accommodation was approved unanimously in the ad hoc council meeting on July 11, with Labour councillors again voting in favour.

"I am sorry to say that as things turned out, it is the members of the orchestra who lost an opportunity to gain more experience by playing abroad," she said.