WAR OF WORDS OVER DOUGLAS DEAL

By Humphrey Carter THE Balearic government's purchase of Michael Douglas's Costa Nord cultural centre is continuing to make headline news, and for all the wrong reasons. Since the deal's announcement at the World Travel Market, the transaction, which also involves Douglas helping promote the Balearics overseas, has become bogged down in a political battle in Palma. Yesterday Costa Nord were forced to issue a press statement in a bid to try and clear up all the allegations and accusations which have been made over the past few days. However, last night, the socialist party called to see an official report on the purchase of Costa Nord. Ex-Tourism Minister Celesti Alomar said his party wants the Balearic government to hand over all the documentation relating to the purchase of the cultural centre and the hiring of Micheal Douglas for promotional purposes. Tourism Minister Joan Flaquer flew into a storm when he returned from the World Travel market on Thursday. Yesterday he hit back, calling his predecessor Alomar a liar. On Wednesday Alomar claimed that Costa Nord had been offered to his government at a lower price of 4.4 million euros. Flaquer said yesterday that the 4-6 million euros the Balearics government has agreed to includes 200.000 euros in interests. The Minister also hit back saying that the centre's daily losses were less than the 1.800 euros claimed by Alomar who has serious doubts about the affect Douglas will have on holiday sales to the Balearics. Yesterday Alomar said that considering Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta-Jones have already been doing their best to promote Bermuda, where they now live for most of the time, and her homeland Wales, his drive to promote the Balearics “lacks credibility.” The socialist party maintains that the whole thing has been more of a personal publicity stunt for Balearic leader Jaume Matas and his leading party members as opposed to a concerted effort to boost the Balearics' international image. “He's never lived here, just spent short periods at his S'Estaca home,” Alomar said yesterday.