Call for inquiry at restoration centre

I refer to the contribution by Joe Cannataci, chairman of the Malta Centre for Restoration (November 6). Dr Cannataci expects us to believe boisterous self-praise for his style of management which he thinks has made MCR "the best-managed and most successful agency in this country".

An assessment of what is really happening at MCR could be made by way of an investigation by an independent authority rather than through someone blowing one's own trumpet.

It is not my intention to damage prospects for MCR. Dr Cannataci is doing that quite effectively on his own. However, MCR is located within my constituency and receives the hefty sum of Lm500,000 of taxpayers' money annually. I shall only mention three reasons that should compel the minister of education to investigate MCR's top management through a public inquiry.

Firstly, Dr Galea should initiate a public inquiry to investigate the reason why MCR rarely contributes to major restoration projects in this country despite its large budget and declared mission as a national centre for restoration.

Dr Cannataci has already indirectly confirmed that MCR hardly ever tenders for large restoration projects (most of which concern state-owned property).

On the other hand, Dr Cannataci boasts of a large number of minor restoration projects carried out at MCR, which consist mostly of restoration work on small privately-owned artefacts. Such work is commendable but raises questions about the inadequate pricing for such restoration work. Ultimately, the owners of these artefacts sell their inexpensively restored investments in art at exorbitant prices.

Secondly, an inquiry should establish responsibility for this year's MCR single major project, the restoration of the mural at Verdala Palace under the supervision of a foreigner. This foreigner dictated the use of an outdated and dangerous technique for the cleaning of the mural.

I am informed that the cleaning of the Verdala mural was done with the use of a very aggressive cleaning agent that may leave long-term damaging effects.

Thirdly, Dr Galea should initiate a public inquiry over the way a foreigner was contracted to be the director of the laboratory at MCR, a post which could have been taken up by a Maltese.

The employment contract was terminated last year but contract conditions stipulated that MCR had to pay the director's remaining lavish salary from the date of his premature dismissal to the remaining years till the expiration of his contract.

Mr Mizzi is the Labour Party's spokesman for infrastructural services.