The Nationalist Party today called for an explanation about the European Court of Auditors report condemning it for negotiating with one company without a prior call for competition for works on the Coast Road.

Transport Malta had said that two public calls were made.

Addressing a news conference, shadow minister Roberta Metsola said the European Union gave funds to the country and not the government to use as it wished.

Shadow Minister Marthese Portelli said the longer the government took to reply to the legitimate questions being raised, the more one suspected that the loss of €11 million on the Coast Road project was not the result of incompetence but because other issues were involved.

Shadow minister Chris Said said the Nationalist Party was concerned at reports which had not been denied that the government might have to return €6 million to the EU following the government decision to privatise the Gozo Hospital.

This decision, he said, was going to badly affect workers and patients.

In a reply, the Labour Party said the PN’s statement on the Gozo Hospital showed the party’s negativity, taking a stand against private investment.

PN leader Simon Busuttil, it said, did not want to see investment because he was afraid he would lose more votes, as the opposite of what he said was happening in all instances.