08/11/2003 00:00
TW
0
Staff Reporter THE Balearic government has decided to renounce plans to build a polo field in Campos because of “doubts and suspicions,” according to government spokesman Joan Flaquer. These doubts, he said, have triggered an investigation into circumstances surrounding compensation to the promotor of the project. Flaquer signalled that “after six weeks,” neither former Balearic leader Francesc Antich, nor his public works minister Francesc Quetglas, have offered explanations of why their government decided to pay compensation of 1.08 million euros to the German building promoter responsible for the project, which included a housing development. Flaquer said an “internal investigation” into this payment had been ordered, and the goverment may go to court to get to the bottom of the matter. Flaquer stated that the payment, which “up to now had been kept quiet by the Balearic Socialist party”, came to light “when the project was tabled before Parliament”. During the term of office of the previous government, it was purportedly decided to compensate some parties affected by changes in local planning laws, but not others. Flaquer admitted to being left “confounded” by the total “illogicality” of the situation. The payment, he said, had seemingly been made in exchange for nothing”. According to the present government spokesman, this “clandestine behaviour” is the reason why there is so much uncertainty about the “regularity” of this situation. The government, however, assured Flaquer, “is not shying away from its commitment to the municipality of Campos”. He confirmed that, in conjunction with the local Town Council, the Balearic government is studying “alternative projects” for the area. Flaquer, who is also minister for tourism, said that it should be the municipal authorities who decide on the future of their area. When asked why the Balearic government had turned its back on the Polo project before awaiting the outcome of a judicial enquiry, Flaquer simply said that the government had not received satisfactory explanations concerning the “irregularities” of the situation from those responsible at the time.




Meanwhile, Andreu Prohens, the Mayor of Campos, gave assurances yesterday that the locality remains “unperturbed” following the announcement of government plans not to go ahead with the construction of the Polo Pitch. “We can go ahead and select another project”, he affirmed. Prohens expressed solidarity with the decision of the government. He also insisted that the interest of his local community did not lie exclusively in seeing the completion of a polo pitch. Residents were interested in developing the area, he said, by any other project of which they approved. Prohens acknowledged that the construction of a therapeutic clinic at the thermal baths of La Font Santa is another project that is still “on the table”.