Adventure Camping denies illegally collecting Aħrax campsite rent

A Mellieħa campsite operator has denied claims by caravan owners of illicitly collecting rent, insisting payments were due under agreements signed by the owners themselves.

The operator of the Aħrax campsite in Mellieħa, Adventure Camping & Leisure Company Ltd, and its director, Vincent Vella, denied the allegations in a counter-protest filed in response to a judicial protest lodged last year by the Aħrax Camp Site Association.

The association had originally called on the company to stop collecting rent and sought the return of payments allegedly collected without a legal basis. The association also accused the Lands Authority of allowing the company to collect rent from caravan owners despite allegedly having no legal title over the site.

In its counter-reply, Adventure Camping & Leisure denied occupying government land illegally, insisting it was the protesting caravan owners who, “on the contrary”, were occupying the land without title.

Adventure Camping & Leisure described the association’s judicial protest as defamatory, saying it was contradictory for the caravan owners to claim the company had no title on the land but then expected it to maintain the site.

The company rejected claims it was incurring daily fines, insisting it had settled all outstanding payments with the authorities.

“The company invested millions of euros on the site, passed electricity and water services, introduced sanitary facilities and organised the area,” Adventure Camping & Leisure said in its counter-reply. The company added that it always acted with “integrity, honesty, and to the best of its ability”.

Adventure Camping & Leisure and Vella said the judicial protest filed by the association was “malicious” and warned that it will hold the caravan owners personally and legally responsible unless they withdrew it.