Ministry seeks legal advice over Xlendi sewage accident

The Gozo Ministry has sought legal advice over a construction accident during works on a road which left Xlendi Bay contaminated with sewage for five days.

“The Ministry expects diligence and accountability from whoever is carrying out projects in Gozo. It expects the contractual obligations, including that of responsibility, to be fulfilled.

“For this reason with regard to this incident (the Ministry will) act in line with established procedures and await for legal advice before taking the action needed,” the ministry said yesterday in a statement.

The statement came in reply to criticism by Labour’s spokesman for Gozo Anton Refalo, who accused the Gozo Ministry of defending its “favourite” contractor at the expense of taxpayers in the way it acted on the Xlendi accident.

In particular, he was scathing over a report in The Times in which the Gozo Ministry was quoted saying the contractor who damaged the drainage pipe would not face legal consequences because the pipe, which was broken accidentally, was going to be replaced anyway.

But the ministry yesterday denied saying this and stressed that it had sought legal advice on the matter.

“After the incident took place, the ministry immediately took the necessary action to avoid further damage and ­minimise the inconvenience to residents, establishment ­owners and visitors,” it explained.

The ministry also defended itself from criticism of favouring any one particular contractor, pointing out that the contract in question was awarded after a due process.

The statement turned the tables on the Labour party, saying that the PL had lambasted this project at every juncture, adding that this was a needed infrastructural upgrading of the area.

The police were called on site shortly after workmen struck a main sewage line in Xlendi Road last Monday.

They immediately asked bathers to get out of the water and signs in five languages were put up informing visitors that the water was unsafe.

The bay was eventually declared fit for swimming again on Saturday following tests on seawater samples.