Sliema mayor ‘admits asking for commission’

Sliema mayor Nikki Dimech is expected to resign today after admitting to the police that he asked a council contractor for a commission, in breach of financial regulations.

The 33-year-old Nationalist mayor, an accountant and auditor by profession, told investigators that he had solicited a commission over the council’s contract management tender, police sources said.

Mr Dimech spent several hours being questioned at the police headquarters in Floriana yesterday. The police wanted to ask him about allegations of financial irregularities at the Nationalist-led council.

The police Economic Crimes Unit, which is investigating the case, yesterday also summoned other council members, as well as current and former employees.

Following the development, Mr Dimech is expected to step down as mayor and councillor, Nationalist Party sources confirmed. He is also expected to end his relations with the party.

He will be the second PN mayor to step down in the space of a week after the resignation last Friday of Sta Venera mayor Elizabeth Vella.

Ms Vella resigned following an Auditor General’s report in which she told how she had received €80 as a donation to charity for allowing the council premises to be used for private lessons. The money was deposited in a bank account held jointly by the council and the parish priest.

Mr Dimech’s case is not over the fairy lights tender which had raised the authorities’ eyebrows about three months ago, although this tender featured in the questions he was asked by the police, the sources said.

Coincidentally, Mr Dimech was yesterday also called in by the Internal Audit Investigations Department within the Prime Minister’s Office. He could not attend since he was at police headquarters but is expected to reply to the department’s questions today.

This department started investigating the Sliema council after allegations of mismanagement of funds referred to it by the Department for Local Government.

During the course of this investigation, Mr Dimech remained away from the council offices and council meetings and then called two emergency meetings to discuss the future of the executive secretary who was instrumental in flagging the alleged irregularities.

The first urgent meeting was not held after Local Government Department head Martin Bugelli stopped it from going ahead because it was “illegal”, as it was going to take place at an earlier time than prescribed by law.