Restoration work on the Great Siege Monument in Valletta have cost €1,600, with a second phase now expected to start, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici has revealed.
Replying to a parliamentary question tabled by PL Whip Byron Camilleri, Bonnici said that the works took 3 weeks and involved the general cleaning of the base of the monument, the treatment of biological soiling, the cleaning of candle and oil stains, the repairs of deteriorated areas, and the cleaning of the statue.
A second phase will now start and will involve further restoration such as the improvement of the lighting system and the pavement surrounding the monument.
The monument has been at the centre of controversy, with candles, flowers and other items placed at the national monument to protest the lack of justice in the assassination of slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia being continuously removed by cleaners overnight.
In September, the monument, erected in 1927 and dedicated to the fallen of the 1565 Great Siege of Malta, was boarded up for restoration purposes.
A court case on the use of the Great Siege monument as a tribute to Caruana Galizia is ongoing.