AceShowbiz - A representative for Mel Gibson has dismissed allegations the Hollywood star asked Mexican officials to clear a prison to make way for his latest film project, insisting it was a government decision to move inmates. The "Braveheart" actor wrote the screenplay for new movie "How I Spent My Summer Vacation", which he wants to shoot at the Ignacio Allende prison in the eastern coastal city of Veracruz.

The state governor, Fidel Herrera Beltran, agreed to accommodate Gibson and began relocating prisoners to make room for the actor/director's film crew. But the move sparked outrage among prisoners' relatives, leading to a string of protests against the decision to transfer convicts to other facilities.

Demonstrations outside the Veracruz prison started up again this week, as officials continued to ship inmates away from the jail - prompting a publicist for Gibson to speak out over the controversy. Gibson's rep, Alan Nierob, tells Variety.com, "No one with production asked for this transfer. What they do and how they do it is their business, it doesn't involve my client at all."

"How I Spent My Summer Vacation", about a career criminal who is thrown into a Mexican prison for trafficking drugs, will star Gibson and is set for a 2011 release.