News | Sunday, 30 August 2009

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No permit for Gozo festival, organiser avoids comment

Matthew Vella
The organiser of the Gozo Music Festival, Joseph Cutajar, has declined to comment about the lack of a police permit for his musical spectacular held last week in Victoria.
Apart from not being covered by a police permit, the party was allowed to go on until 4am.
Enjoying the sponsorship of the Gozo Ministry and the Finance Ministry, as well as a grant from the Good Causes Funds, the festival’s carte blanche has exposed the arbitrary way in which permits for events are issued.
Only a week before the Gozo Music Festival, police authorities refused to issue a permit for the Creamfields Music Festival, held on the 1 August, to be held outdoors until 4am at Gianpula fields.
The Gozo Music Festival, on the other hand, appears to have only had a ‘no objection’ from the Xewkija local council. “As a council we issue a permit as allowed by law. We listed no conditions on the duration of the festival or any bank guarantees. Those are matters regulated by the police,” said mayor Monica Vella.
Organiser Joseph Cutajar, of Dynamic Promotions, refused to comment on whether his party had a police permit.
A senior police officer told MaltaToday that the organisers were allowed to bypass police, and proceed with the council’s simple authorisation.
The authorisation contrasts starkly with the refusal by the police to allow the Creamfields festival to continue operating beyond 2am at Gianpula Fields. While the Zebbug local council said it had no objection to the event, the police insisted to have the party shut down at 2am.
The Ministry of Gozo has denied having had anything to do with the Gozo Music Festival. But senior sources said the police were under extreme political and commercial pressure to have the party continue until 4am.
But the party enjoyed considerable government backing, with the Malta Tourism Authority and Air Malta also sponsoring the event.

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