The battle for the Nerja Caves continues as the spokesman for the PP Government and PP representative of the Nerja Caves Foundation, José Miguel García, questioned the legality of the loan granted to the Nerja Caves Foundation for the completion of the Nerja History Museum.
José Miguel García accused the President of the Nerja Caves Foundation, Hilary López Luna, and the manager, Ángel Ramírez, of riding roughshod over the law in obtaining the grant from the Cajamar bank and does not rule out taking the matter to court.
García says the loan is illegal because it was neither approved in plenary session nor put out to tender. He also once again criticised the management of the caves for not being able to raise funding at provincial, regional or central government level, despite being of the same political colour as those authorities.
At the same time, García acknowledged that the Government was pleased to hear that the organisation has received a cultural award from M Capital for its work, but added that this seems to be more of a case of ‘consideration’ for issuing the loan as the co-Chairman of Cajamar, Luis de la Maza Garrido, is also responsible for M Capital.
The manager of the Nerja Caves Foundation (and head of the Opposition PSOE), Ángel Ramírez, dismissed the remarks as ‘insults to the Nerja Caves’ and added that he believes the Mayor will make every effort to delay the museum as he did with the pedestrian footbridge project.
The Nerja Council is currently demanding payment of its 10% of revenues from the various Caves operations as this has not been forthcoming since the PSOE took over control of the Nerja Caves Foundation.
It has to be noted that, without financing being arranged by the Nerja Caves Foundation, there would be no museum building, it would still all be ‘talk’ of a museum. A bit like the sewage plant. Without the loan from the Cajamar, the building would probably remain empty for a few more years.
Surely the main point, and concern, is that something is actually being done rather than preparing endless drafts, proposals, reminders and motions. Sometimes you just want to bang their heads together.