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Karl Schembri
Urban Development and Roads Minister Jesmond Mugliett was left waiting in vain by his Italian guest who was supposed to be taken on a tour of the splendid new roads financed by the Italian government last Thursday.
The minister was expecting Italian Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, Senator Roberto Antonione, to take him on a tour of new roads Thursday evening. But while the Italian senator was on his way to Rabat, he had a change of heart and told the driver to forget the transport minister as he was afraid he would miss the State dinner offered to host Italian president Ciampi and his entourage.
In fact, an advance copy of the Mugliett’s speech to be delivered on site flanked by the Italian guest had already been circulated by the Department of Information but a note was sent shortly after Antonione’s about turn informing editors to ignore the press release.
A spokesman for Mugliett said the Italian was “running late” because of his previous official appointment. “He called afterwards to say he was sorry,” the spokesman said.
Asked whether the minister felt offended by the incident, the spokesman said: “It was just a tour of the roads, at the end of the day it’s his loss.”
In his speech which he never delivered, Mugliett thanked Senator Antonione “for his presence here today”. He was supposed to say that they were standing “on one of the first stretches of roads that have been rebuilt thanks to the long-standing friendship between Italy and Malta”.
Government plans to finish road projects by September funded by the Fifth Italo-Maltese Protocol.
According to Mugliett, “this EUR 30 million project will not only leave behind 16km of roads that offer an excellent driving experience” but it also “leaves behind a legacy of knowledge in road construction brought about by the close collaboration between Maltese and Italian road contractors”.
The Transport Authority meanwhile ordered Italian contractors Fratelli Basilotta to replace the surface of a road which it had badly constructed in Haz Zebbug.
karl@newsworksltd.com
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