|
Karl Schembri
Tourism Minister Francis Zammit Dimech has intervened to stop the Malta Tourism Authority from handing over EUR50,000 to a private company for Maltese cultural events that were to be held in Paris this week, MaltaToday has confirmed.
The minister intervened after learning that the authority was sponsoring “all or almost the whole venture” called Maison de Malte proposed by Prima Tours, run by David Mangion and which had the MTA’s own legal representative, Pierre Masquart, as partner in the project.
The sponsorship was originally confirmed by MTA’s director of marketing Jeffrey Cutajar but was shot down by the minister after he learnt of the plans.
“Besides the possible conflict of interest (of the French lawyer), I insisted that if the MTA is going to fork out all those money sponsoring all or almost the whole venture, it had to include all the Maltese tourism operators that were interested and that the organisation had to follow full accounting procedures,” Zammit Dimech said when contacted.
Last Sunday, newspaper KullHadd reported that the Maison de Malte events were cancelled after disagreement between the MTA and the Maltese Embassy in France.
But Zammit Dimech said MTA chairman Sam Mifsud agreed with his decision when consulted.
“He agreed with me immediately,” Zammit Dimech said, adding that the Maltese Embassy in France also felt it would have been “incorrect” to finance the activity.
In fact Ambassador Vicki Ann Cremona has taken exception to the use of the term “Malta House” as this is normally the name used by governments for the cultural wing of their embassies, not by private companies.
“The Ambassador has expressed her reservations,” Zammit Dimech said.
Chris Scicluna, spokesman for Foreign Minister Michael Frendo, said Maison de Malte had no connection with the Maltese government and that the Maltese Ambassador clarified the issue whenever she felt it was pertinent to do so.
When contacted on his mobile, Mangion said he was abroad and would only reply upon his return later this week.
kschembri@mediatoday.com.mt
|
