Government refuses to publish Gozo swimming pool agreement

The government is refusing to publish a memorandum of understanding it signed with a private company – 240 Ltd – to transfer a piece of public land where a swimming pool complex will be built in Gozo. The announcement of the Natatorium complex project was made by the Ministry for Gozo last November. Few details about it have been given by the government so far and it is not known what type of investment will be made. However, the ministry had said that, in exchange for the concession, the period of which has not been specified yet, the government would be getting about 10 hours of ‘free’ use of the new complex every week so that schoolchildren can use the facilities.  Also, the government is binding itself to ‘buy’ at commercial rates a number of hours for the use of the complex. So far the government is refusing to give details of this deal. Turning down a Freedom of Information request for a copy of the MOU signed publicly last November, and announced through a government press release, the Ministry of Gozo told Times of Malta that the MOU cannot be divulged. The ministry also refused a second request for reconsideration even when told that since this a public project...