Gozo Shadow Minister Chris Said this evening called on the government to clarify once and for all whether it intended to introduce entrance fees for the Cittadella.

Speaking during adjournment time, Dr Said said Gozo Minister Anton Refalo had last week referred to the mounting costs but had avoided giving a direct reply when asked if there were plans to charge people at the gates. The minister simply said that this was up to the management committee.

Then on Sunday, in a newspaper interview, committee president Mgr. Joe Vella Gauci confirmed that an entrance fee would be introduced. “People could not believe that they would be charged to go to the Cittadella – not just for the museums but also for the public areas. Dr Refalo later denied the statement made by a person he had personally appointed. Which version is true?”

Turning to other matters, Dr Said said more details had emerged from the secretive hospital privatisation agreements. He said the government was "trying everything to hide its shady dealings."

“Anton Refalo has abdicated from his duties to stand up for the Gozitan population on health issues,” the former PN minister said.

He also pointed out that the government had stated that Barts Medical school was to receive its first intake of 60 students in September. This has not happened and the school has not even been built yet.   Dr Refalo had completely neglected the subject in his budget speech last week.

Dr Said also said the University Gozo centre was supposed to increase the number of courses offered but the opposite happened.  "But the cherry on the cake is the fact that the Gozo centre does not have a head."