The Government have issued a reply to the GSD’s recent comments regarding the management of the Moorish Castle.

A statement from the Government follows below:

In his latest press release on behalf of the GSD, Damon Bossino, in his blind hatred of the Gibraltar  National Museum’s management, is once again showing his inability to properly research a subject,  his lack of understanding of procedures, and his hypocrisy. 

Mr Bossino seems not to have been aware that it was the GSD who first gave responsibility for the  Moorish Castle to the Museum, announced with great aplomb when the Castle was re-opened in  2007. Indeed, it was exactly the same individuals mentioned by the GSD at the time, Director Prof  Clive Finlayson, and restorer Manuel Jean, who supervised the minor works then who are  supervising the much more significant and extensive restoration today. 

The Moorish Castle is one of the areas for which the Museum’s management company, Knightsfield  Holdings, is responsible, and as such they are able to subcontract to entities of their choice. The  impeccable track record of the Museum team, which is internationally recognised, means that the  Government has every confidence in their scrutiny in choosing subcontractors who will be able to  deliver to the high standards that they have set and require. This has been the case for several  decades, during the time of the GSLP/Liberal Government and previously during both GSD and the  previous GSLP administrations. That Mr Bossino is questioning this now betrays memory failure,  or possibly personal agendas that are clouding his political judgement.  

Mr Bossino’s bitterness may of course simply betray frustration that so much positive work is being  done for our Heritage by the GSLP/Liberal Government. The extensive work being carried out in  the Moorish Castle, which has already been revealed to the public, and which is being done for the  first time, literally, in centuries, the responsible restoration and archaeology under expert  supervision, and the promise of a product to be enjoyed by Gibraltar residents and tourists alike,  cannot sit comfortably with him. 

Minister for Heritage John Cortes said: “Damon has a problem in recognising the positive. He tries  to place a cloud over everything that is being done to enhance our heritage by trying to divert  attention elsewhere. It will not work. Our Castle’s restoration will continue and it will become one  of our biggest attractions, while Damon, as if he were locked away in some medieval dungeon,  continues to struggle to stay relevant to Gibraltar when in fact he, like the GSD as a whole, are  actually being left far behind as Gibraltar progresses.”