Deflated 'emergency' meeting at Sliema council
Video: Mark Zammit Cordina
What had to be an emergency Sliema council meeting to discuss work of the executive secretary this evening, turned out to be a half-hour meeting during which the mayor read a declaration that the council would continue to function as before for the benefit of the locality.
No indication was given during the meeting, to which all the media were present, as to what the difficulties had been and whether any meetings had been held in the past weeks to solve these problems.
Executive secretary Svetlana Curmi said when asked she would take direction from what the councillors decided.
Local government director Martin Bugelli was also present as an observer.
Contrary to what had been expected, Mayor Nikki Dimech did not present any motions and when asked, after the meeting, if it was true that a meeting for the Nationalist Party councillors had been held at the PN headquarters today and what was discussed, he said he did not want to comment because of the ongoing investigation.
The meeting, which had to be held last Friday at 4.30 p.m., had to be cancelled when Mr Dimech found the council offices closed as the chosen time was outside that stipulated by law.
He admitted he had not been to the council for about six to eight weeks because an investigation into alleged financial irregularities had started.
Ms Curmi was instrumental in flagging financial irregularities within the council, now being investigated by the government's Internal Audit Department, over the extension of a tender that was way beyond the amount the council could legally authorise without issuing a tender.
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23 Comments
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Anthony Pace Gouder
Jul 30th 2010, 13:52
Nisthajjel li kien ikun xieraq li din il-laqgha 'urgenti' intemmet bid-daqq tas-song ta' Ronan Keating " You say it best when you say nothing at all "..... ma daqsxejn xampannja !
JAFarrugia
Jul 30th 2010, 10:13
The freeze frame says it all, one of the persons cannot stand to hear it anymore :)
But honestly is this what you all voted for, the least i would expect is for the entire council to resign for being the epitimy of uselessness, but hey this is Malta that word doesn't exist.
P.Cassar
Jul 30th 2010, 09:45
WHAT A SHAME!!!................WHY AM I FORCED TO PAY FOR SUCH SHAME.............JUST LIKE GONZIPN SITTING ON A TIME BOMB, SWEEPING IT UNDER THE CARPET, SMILING AND EATING SWEETIES.
GOVT AND ALL ITS ENTITIES TAKING PEOPLE FOR A RIDE........... AGAIN AND AGAIN !!!!!
john mahoney
Jul 30th 2010, 09:42
Justy fifty metres away from the Sliema local Council's office one finds the Sliema Scouts group premises. I guarantee that the scouts' weekly meetings are more interesting and fruitful than the farce you have shown in the video clip. What a shame, what a waste of money.
Lawrence Bonello
Jul 30th 2010, 09:04
Are ALL Local Council meetings like this? If so, no wonder this country is in the state it is!!
m.ellul
Jul 30th 2010, 08:27
dan il-video m'issu jigbed l-attenzjoni tal-votant Malti li ghandu jibdel il-mentalita tieghu u jibda jivvota b'mohhu u bil-fatti u mhux bis-simpatija ghax jekk ha nibqu sejrin hekk, dan il-pajjiz qadt u qadt mu ha jimxi il-quddiem u mux qed n'ghamel l-ebda referenza ghall-ebda partit politiku (min haqqu jitla, jitla..imma irid ikun haqqu vera)
meta rajt dal- clip ma nafx jekk ridtx nidhaq jew ahjar nibki, hafna xeni u mutetti (u pastini !!) biex da kollu biex j'ghid li ha jibqa ghaddej... semplici e-mail ma kienetx tkun bizzejjed, imma le kien hemm bzon nahlu il-hin tal-gurnalisti u fl-ahhar mil-ahhar il-hin tal-MALTIN... inkelle ma nidrux !!! ....u l-aqwa ghandna in-netbook u laptop iehor bis-segretarja....
E. Azzopardi
Jul 30th 2010, 08:11
There is so much pending work in Sliema and this the height of the tourist season, especially, most especially regarding cleanliness. So much lost time due to bikkering. This is not what is expected of a Local Council. It should never have happened and it took so long to start functioning as before. You MUST all work as a team for the benefit not only of Sliema but the whole country. This is what it is all about, in case some have not noticed.
Thank you.
H. Mifsud
Jul 30th 2010, 06:57
Pathetic is a misnomer!
Perhaps one is expected to comprehend beyond what was repeatedly said.
Should one be an expert to notice the body language especially the facial expressions?
What a waste of public funds. No wonder Sliema is in the sorry state it is in!
Karl Consiglio
Jul 30th 2010, 01:54
Sliema is in the hands of this bunch?
J.Camilleri
Jul 29th 2010, 23:17
What a farce !
Michael Porter
Jul 29th 2010, 22:09
GRAVI!
I'm left speechless just like them.
Stephen Koludrovic
Jul 29th 2010, 21:55
Ha.Ha. so this is the toffee nosed council at work.
Thank god I live in Floriana, at least our council, is definably more enterprising, and certainly more approachable, to the needs of our constituents.
Karl Consiglio
Jul 29th 2010, 21:36
Whats the emergency for if no one has anything to put forward, discuss, suggestions , complaints etc? Or could it be that they were camera shy?
John Abela
Jul 29th 2010, 20:43
Veru laqgha patetika ... gharukaza... lil din id-direzzjoni sejjer il-pajjiz.... Prosit hafna
c.cefai
Jul 29th 2010, 20:39
BUON APETITO!!!
Martin Debono
Jul 29th 2010, 19:32
Ha ha! Bil-pastini fuq il-mejda ukoll, ma jmorrux jiffjakkaw!
J. J. Borg
Jul 29th 2010, 19:29
Biex idahhqu n-nies bihom iltaqaw mela!
Stephen Camilleri
Jul 29th 2010, 19:27
jidru tajbin il-gallettini..........................
R. C Conti
Jul 29th 2010, 19:23
Pathetic
Brian Fenech
Jul 29th 2010, 19:14
Peress li nhanqu jghidu, u hlew hafna energija... kinu importanti il biskuttini... u xarba kisha jahasra... lol
Maria Zammit
Jul 29th 2010, 19:06
Ezercizzju fl-artificjalita'!
M.Camilleri
Jul 29th 2010, 18:57
Tad-Daħk! Teatrin sħiħ!
A. Slater
Jul 29th 2010, 18:56
1:00...mobile phone and a packet of cigarettes on the table of an official council meeting.
How professional