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| NEWS | Sunday, 24 February 2008 Speed camera earnings contribute to Mugliett’s district David Darmanin Minister for Urban Development and Roads Jesmond Mugliett yesterday donated just over €9,300 to sports association Hibernians to “disseminate awareness” amongst its 800 members on the Malta Transport Authority’s (ADT) road safety campaign, and perhaps some awareness about his candidature on the same district.
While the Hibernians sports association is located in Mugliett’s constituency in the fourth district, Mugliett still denied having anything to do with the decision to award the money to a club in his constituency. Addressing a press conference at the Hibs basketball pavilion in Paola, Mugliett turned to Hibs officials saying it was of “great pleasure to present this cheque of around €9,300 for you to disseminate awareness over the next three years. This is also an indirect way of helping your organisation.” “ADT has an arrangement to use part of the revenue generated from speed cameras to invest them in a campaign aimed at promoting road health and safety… Hibernians is one of the organisations that had shown interest in forming part of this campaign,” he said. Challenged on how long it took him to find a way of using public funds to sponsor an organisation based in his district, Mugliett quickly denied his involvement in the decision process. “This was not my decision, but the ADT’s,” he said, “So I had nothing to do with it. This is not the only organisation, in fact: Hamrun Spartans also benefited from a similar sponsorship a few months ago.” Asked whether he donated the money to Hamrun Spartans amidst an election campaign, Mugliett said: “The decision had been taken long ago… a few months ago, that is.” Hamrun Spartans in fact benefited from an ADT sponsorship over a year ago, but the amount was definitely less than €3,000, reliable sources told this newspaper. No press conference was ever held announcing the grant to Hamrun Spartans. Mugliett also admitted that the grant to Hibs was confirmed in June 2007, and that “we never found the right occasion to hold the presentation.” Asked whether yesterday was the right time due to the fact that it overlaps with election campaigns, Mugliett said: “Draw the conclusions you deem fit.” Any comments?
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Managing editor Saviour Balzan | Tel. ++356 21382741 | Fax: ++356 21385075 | Email
Managing editor Saviour Balzan | Tel. ++356 21382741 | Fax: ++356 21385075 | Email