Nov 21 - Government “Caught Out Again” Says GSD
The GSD has today said that “yet again the Chief Minister has been caught out misleading the community, this time on Europa Stadium Limited.”
On 2 November, the GSD issued a communiqué which it says exposed the fact that a few days after the DPC had met in April 2014 in order to consider the Europa Stadium project, the Government formed a company called Europa Stadium Limited. That company made provision for the allocation of £41 million preference shares. The GSD questioned whether this was the company the Government envisaged would be developing the stadium and asked whether the Government “had such little respect” for the community that it made plans for the construction of the Stadium just days after the DPC had met to deliberate on the project.
The response, says the Opposition, “was typical of the Government.” The Opposition, according to Number Six, had got its facts wrong and this was “a purely administrative decision” and “an internal vehicle set up by the Government in the event that the land at Europa Point were to be transferred to the GFA”.
The reality, according to answers in Parliament yesterday, is that Europa Stadium Limited is the vehicle that was intended to be used to develop the area into a Stadium with the GFA acquiring £41 million worth of preference shares in the company, says the GSD. That money, says the party, would then be used to build the stadium.
Daniel Feetham, the Leader of the Opposition, said “getting the Government to come clean on a host of issues these days is like pulling teeth. It is worrying that this New Dawn Government did not come clean with people at the outset and did not make an announcement when it formed the company by providing a full explanation at the time. Instead, just like Credit Finance Company Limited, it was the Opposition that had to expose its existence. It is equally worrying that when we exposed the existence of the company, instead of making a full and frank statement as we called for, the Government chose to downplay its importance. Yesterday, the Chief Minister sought to downplay the likelihood of the Government either directly or indirectly funding the £41 million by way of a loan to the GFA. Quite frankly, given the Government’s track record, I take that statement with a pinch of salt.”
