The owners of Gozo’s Grand Hotel yesterday rebutted an NGO’s claims that a hotel extension had encroached on the Għajnsielem belvedere.

Belmont Company Ltd accused Flimkien għal Ambjent Aħjar of misrepresenting facts and aiming to put the owners and representatives of the Grand Hotel in bad light through a statement issued last week.

“These allegations have turned out to be completely incorrect. Last Monday the owners were presented with a copy of the report of the independent expert commissioned, which was aimed at determining whether this alleged encroachment actually took place.

“The findings do not uphold the arguments being put forward by FAA,” the company said.

Among other arguments, the hotel owners said that periodical site inspections were carried out by Lands Department officials to safeguard public property and to ensure that the dividing property line was being respected.

These inspections were carried out throughout the entire excavation and construction phases and in view of insistent objections by a third party. These site inspections were substantiated with professional surveys.

Instead of providing technical evidence to substantiate its allegations, FAA opted to submit photographs of the blocks serving solely as reinforcement of the belvedere, describing them as foundations of the Grand Hotel rather than as foundations of the belvedere, the owners said.

They added that only a small section of the belvedere was closed, and this was solely in view of health and safety regulations.