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Sliema mayor claims he is innocent

Sliema mayor Nikki Dimech has claimed he is innocent and says he only admitted bribery charges to the police because he was forced to.

In an interview with The Sunday Times to be published tomorrow, Mr Dimech says he underwent “mental torture” at the hands of the police and that he was interrogated twice: once where he denied the accusations and another (three hours later) where he admitted.

He said he was kept in a cell at police headquarters between interrogations where he suffered a panic attack but he was not given his asthma inhaler and antidepressants except after he signed the second statement.

He also talks about general secretary Paul Borg Olivier, his relationship with former protégé Robert Arrigo and why he thinks he has been framed by his party.

Mr Dimech was kicked out of the party last week after the news surfaced that he admitted to police having asked for a commission from a contractor.

However, he did not resign as mayor and the party prepared a motion of no confidence. One of the PN’s councillors, Sandra Camilleri, said she was forced to sign the motion by Dr Borg Olivier, even though she believed Mr Dimech was innocent.

In a reaction which will also be published tomorrow, the PN, among other things, denied Ms Camilleri's allegations.

Meanwhile the police have denied allegations that Mr Dimech signed the statement under duress and was not given his inhaler, saying that he never asked to use it.

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R Cassar

Aug 23rd 2010, 01:08

...because the timings are written on the TWO statements!!! Not very difficult to understand :)

J Pace

Aug 22nd 2010, 21:53

I'm impressed.
Now tell me, can a patient under these conditions remember exactly what is going on, including exact hour and minute of proceedings?
Don't bother to answer, as even though I am not medically literate as much as you seem to be, I can come to my own conclusions.

J Grima

Aug 22nd 2010, 20:15

Why? You know of any better alternative????

Marcel Dingli

Aug 22nd 2010, 16:47

He should remove himself if found guilty. If he moves now there is no chance of reinstatement later.

Joe Vella

Aug 22nd 2010, 15:38

Maria back in the '80's innocent people where being framed for crimes that they didn't commit and others were being beaten. Not to mention that buildings were rain sacked and put on fire by the Socialist MOP of your beloved PL. Worst of all th ough is that the actions of the Socialist Mob was not only tolerated, but sactioned by the Governmet of the Day. Before you write something down, I suggest that you a very deep breath to make sure seure it stand to scrutinty.

Dr Francis Saliba

Aug 22nd 2010, 15:53

There is no parallel with the case of John Dalli. Even though Dalli was to be proven innocent in due course he offered his resignation promptly so as not to be an embarrassment to his party and to the institution of parliament. He had always denied any wrongdoing, he had not signed any statement to the police admitting bribery, he was vindicated and yet he did the gentlemanly thing and offered his resignation. I would not have accepted it in his case. I would accept it in the case of the Mayor of the Sliema L.C. but without implying prematurely that he is guilty of the crime to which he has admitted.

MBorg

Aug 22nd 2010, 14:43

I bet even you will ask for antidepressants if you ever had to go through what he is going tjhrough. Give " the boy " a chance let him prove his innocence and then , only then give your opinion.

Dr Francis Saliba

Aug 22nd 2010, 12:47

Please see the news item about the resignation of the Gharb deputy Mayor.

Dr Francis Saliba

Aug 22nd 2010, 12:54

I have never pretended to have any special "credentials" about any power station contracts or about any fumes from any power station! Pray, what is bugging you, exactly?

Andrew cachia

Aug 22nd 2010, 14:49

dear dottore, what colour are your blinkers?

C Borg

Aug 22nd 2010, 15:02

Dr Francis Saliba. Well done, it seems that Ray Spiteri took your hint and now he writes in normal syntax. Biex ma jkunx pastas. Jew jipprova ....

Dr Francis Saliba

Aug 22nd 2010, 16:05

Just as I have no special "credentials" so also I do not use blinkers of any colour.

Dr Francis Saliba

Aug 22nd 2010, 10:41

@RaySpiteri

Typing a whole paragraph in upper case does not make it more impressive or more persuasive. It only shows the author's doubts about his own ability to prove his point adequately by using conventional syntax. I always skip them.

Marcel Dingli

Aug 22nd 2010, 09:52

Nikki Dimech should only resign if and when charged in Court. However i would rather state that he should resign ONLY when and if found guilty. At this stage there is no reason for him to resign and from my past experience his story is quite credible.

Marcel Dingli

Aug 22nd 2010, 09:57

Staqsi lil Joseph Dott. Jew kuntent li tawh appointment for life.

Dr Francis Saliba

Aug 22nd 2010, 16:01

@MarcelDingli

I do not know this "Joseph " who has "an appointment for life" and I do not know what question you want me to ask him.

Diane Grima

Aug 22nd 2010, 10:56

Perhaps he expected to be treated like a normal citizen making a statement out of his own free will...perhaps he expected to be able to leave once he left his statement and not threatened because it was not what they wanted to hear...perhaps he expected the same treatment you and I would expect!!!

J. J. Borg

Aug 21st 2010, 21:42

Why shouldn't we be entitled to a lawyer while (not before) being questioned by the police?

Why shouldn't police interrogations be recorded?

MSciberras

Aug 21st 2010, 20:34

Why not believe the police? I find it easier to believe the police than a politician who now lets slip that he needs both an asthma inhaler and anti depressants (to garner our sympathy) and that these were witheld, thereby adding to the pressure that forced him to make a confession. The man is an accountant and auditor, not some newborn. He knew that the police could not detain him indefinitely without pressing charges. It seems as if in Malta we are all free to throw mud at the police as if they were the police force of some middle east dictatorship, including this politician, who seems more concerned with saving his own skin than not undermining public trust in the police. He now alleges police brutality. Thanks to his confession, the police now have a solid case and he is trying to retract his words.

a.muscat

Aug 21st 2010, 20:46

80's? For the Nationalist Party and its pundits, the eroding civil liberties and abuse of power remain something of the blurred Labour years that need to be spelt out to the younger generations, lest they forget what the country had to go through in its recent history.
Bastjan borg, the man shot dead by police five times a couple of years ago when his family claimed they had warned the police and health authorities about his bad mental state five days before his fatal confrontation with the officers but had been ignored. Nicholas Azzopardi dead in a very suspicious circumstances at the police headquarters.....and now..Sliema mayor alleging that he was frame uped by his own party....

FN Farrugia

Aug 21st 2010, 21:32

a.mifsud...kulhadd andu xi jxomm taht abtu sihbi

martin saliba

Aug 22nd 2010, 09:37

An the bombings as well. I still wonder to this day who was behind them .

A Callus

Aug 21st 2010, 22:47

Jack Daniels is another ......

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