Siggiewi Mayor Karol Aquilina has said that he was not scolded by the PN for his motion against the possible construction of a race track in Siggiewi.

He was replying to a report published by It-Torca, called Il-PN icanfar lill-President tieghu stess (The PN scolds its own President). Mayor Aquilina is also the President of the PN Administrative Council.

The story published by It-Torca reads that the Mayor did not have the backing of his party when he took a position against the idea of the car racing track being built in his locality, “more than that, he ended up receiving a scolding from a high-up PN official”.

The PN has never meddled in his work on the council, or on the decisions he has taken in the interest of Siggiewi residents he said in a Facebook post. When contacted he said he was not scolded, "however this does not mean they did not speak internally".

In the Facebook post, Dr Aquilina said that It-Torca lied in its report published on Sunday, saying that he did indeed reply to questions that were sent to him.

The paper said that last Thursday, the local council took a position against the possibility of public or private land being used (and particularly the area known as San Niklaw) near the Dar tal-Providenza, for the construction of a racing track and facilities. The paper said that questions sent to Mayor Aquilina did not result in a response by the time the newspaper went to print.

In his Facebook post, the Mayor included a copy of the email he sent at 16.47, and read that the decision taken as the Siggiewi local council is in the best interest of the residents, including those at the Dar tal-Providenza”.

“In the years I have served in the local council, the PN has never meddled with my work on the council and in decisions I, and my fellow councillors, take in the interest of the Siggiewi residents. There were times where we have taken a position against government proposals when the PN was in government. We were always left to freely take our position in favour of what we believe in”. He went on to say that his, as well as the other councillors responsibilities are to the Siggiewi residents.

Speaking with this newsroom, Dr Aquilina gave examples of projects pushed for by the PN which he had opposed in the past. “I opposed government’s project to locate 12 cow farms near the Dat tal-Providenza. Although it was a PN project, this is still being pushed for by Labour.  I also objected to a radar being built in the area known as Fawwara and went to Mepa to object”.