White Rocks complex in 'shameful state' - Sant
Refalo says project application being processed by MEPA
Alfred Sant yesterday called for the tourism minister's resignation over the shameful state which the White Rocks holiday complex had been allowed to fall into.
Dr Sant said during a tour of the site that the complex, which was still in use up to 1999, was government property. Yet it was now in a state of abandon, greatly run down and vandalised.
He recalled that following a call for tenders for private management of the complex, an agreement had been reached with a consortium, but the place still belonged to the government.
But Tourism Minister Michael Refalo said when contacted over the matter that Dr Sant's attitude was "puerile, pathetic and panicky".
The government, he said, had selected the consortium and the project application was currently being processed by the Malta Environment and Planning Authority.
The contract had already been drawn up and would be signed as soon as the MEPA permit was given, the minister said.
Dr Sant said that ever since the place was closed but especially after the government removed the watchman about a year ago, the value of the place had gone down considerably.
The place was now literally covered with shattered glass, there were no doors and windows and whatever had been left behind had been stolen. Fires had been started in various rooms. Drug syringes could be seen in some parts, roofs were caving in and the site was fast becoming a rubbish dump.
Dr Sant said the minister of tourism was responsible to ensure that the place was safeguarded. Yet the site was now in a shameful state and the project which had been planned for it had not materialised.
Dr Refalo said furnishings at the White Rocks had been given out to charity. The place was set to be demolished, so its state at present was immaterial.