Labour claims Gozo roadworks benefit minister's friends

The projects launched for this year by Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono, would, if implemented, make the year "really exceptional for her close friends", Labour Party spokesman for Gozo, Anton Refalo charged yesterday.

Ms Debono had a track record, he said, of not spending the money allocated for projects and using it instead for roads - projects he claimed had been carried out by her friends.

Every year, the Minister spent more money on roads than had been voted and the majority of the funds went to the same company, he said.

Between 1999 and 2005, this company won 42 roadworks contracts out of 50. These were over and above 30 other contracts for residential roads and drainage systems.

The company regularly surpassed the original cost on the major projects, raking in hundreds of thousands of pounds more than estimated.

Dr Refalo quoted as examples the Xhajma road to Nadur, which from an initial cost of Lm31,000 went up to Lm222,000.

Moreover, the same company was awarded the contract for the Rabat to San Lawrenz road, which was meant to cost Lm2,052,533. Just over half the road has been completed and has already cost Lm2,454,089.

Another Lm600,000 for related works had to be added, meaning that the project was running into Lm3 million and was not yet complete.

Dr Refalo maintained there were "friends" in every project and not just in roadworks.

It was a shame, for example, that to accommodate friends, a two-storey parking area was being built under the Gozo secondary schools instead of the communal centre. It was irresponsible that to accommodate friends, no attention was paid to the danger and damage to health that the car park would cause, Dr Refalo said.