San Gwann mayor to be charged with soliciting bribes
San Ġwann’s Nationalist Party mayor Joseph Agius is expected to be charged with soliciting bribes after his son, who was allegedly his accomplice, yesterday pleaded guilty to similar charges.
Mr Agius was not charged in court with his son as he is recovering at Mater Dei Hospital after suffering a heart attack.
His son, Noel Agius , 32, also from San Ġwann, was jailed for two years suspended for four after pleading guilty to soliciting bribes f rom at l east three of the four contractors who submitted a tender to win the waste collection contract in the village , whose council is headed by his father. Police Inspector Angelo Gafà told the court no money had changed hands but the request for commission was in itself a crime.
Inspector Gafà said although Mr Agius had refused to reply to any of the investigators’ questions – as is his Constitutional right – he later assisted police with their inquiries and is expected to continue assisting, even by testifying against other people allegedly involved in the affair.
Sources said police investigations into the bribery allegations at San Ġwann council have been going on for the past fortnight. The police started working on the case when they received an audio recording of people asking for commission for a council tender.
Mr Agius, who is unemployed, immediately admitted to charges of being an accomplice to corruption and to trading in influence. He confirmed his admission after he was given time by the court to reconsider his plea.
The court proceedings prompted Joseph Agius to resign as mayor and PN representative on the council.
The resignation was accepted immediately by the party which in a statement said it was party general secretary Paul Borg Olivier who had referred to the corruption claims to the police for investigation.
Problems within the PN-led San Ġwann council have been brewing for some time until, at the beginning of this month, the mayor and his deputy, Etienne Bonello Dupuis, requested the local government director to investigate claims made by fellow councillors, some of them within their own party, over how the council was operating.
They requested an inquiry “so as to put residents’ minds at rest that the claims are unfounded”.
The letter to the department was sent the day after a council meeting was suspended abruptly soon after councillors made claims about the council and the executive secretary.
The San Ġwann council is yet another PN-led council facing internal problems after those encountered by the Sliema council.
Two mayors and a deputy mayor of three other PN-led councils – St Venera, Żebbuġ and Għarb in Gozo – have resigned from the PN after claims of wrongdoing.
Former St Venera Mayor Elizabeth Vella resigned after an Auditor General report found irregularities in the handling of council funds. The Għarb deputy mayor, whose name cannot be published due to a court ban, resigned from the PN after being arrested and charged with defiling a minor.
Żebbug (Gozo) mayor Charles Saliba resigned from the party to defend himself from charges of misappropriating a council laptop after he allowed his daughter to use it to access Facebook.
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R.Camilleri
Aug 31st 2010, 10:23
Dan kollu taf xi jfisser ! Li l-bniedem tilef il-kuxjenza morali f'kollox. Flus biss qed jara quddiuem ghajnejh u jrid jghamilhom minghajr l-icken tbatija . X'ezempju qed inhallu lil ta' warajna meta dawn ghad iridu jsibu minn fosthom lil min imexxijhom. Meta jmorru l-valuri jispicca kollox bhalma spiccat il-misthija. Hemm bzonn isir xi haga qabel ikun tard wisq, nibdew fil-familji u inkomplu fli-skejjel. Jekk jitkisru l-familji jitkisser pajjiz.
Alfred Grima
Aug 29th 2010, 19:46
Mhux wiehed,mhux tnejn,l-anqas tlieta jew erba' imma hamsa! This is the end result when opting for quantity and not quality. I hope that the public in general will take note.
peter fenech
Aug 30th 2010, 11:43
well said
Stephen Koludrovic
Aug 29th 2010, 17:41
Very old Chinese saying says. To wipe out organized crime, Don"t re elect anyone.
ct busuttil
Aug 29th 2010, 17:13
At least culprits are getting weeded out. Joe Fenech has a point. What credentials do these people have to lead a Town? Then again, we are the ones voting them in. Before we point fingers, perhaps we need to be more discerning in our choice when voting. And the political parties owe us a good selection of candidates possessing the right qualities.
Joe Fenech
Aug 29th 2010, 13:06
Now how about re-opening the VAT fraud case? The sentences handed out are ridiculous and don't measure with the gravity of this incidents.
And what about making the documentation related to the power station contract public for more scrutiny?
And what about telling us more about the Bahar ic-Caghaq project where vast stretches of public is being given for free to private enterprise (reminds you of Malta in the 70s and 80s !)? Not only this is ridiculous but it creates unfair competition.
The government is obviously picking on very small and allowing the big sharks to get away with their colossal cases of corruption which continue to characterise Malta.
Joseph Ellul
Aug 30th 2010, 04:46
@ Joe Fenech
You are absolutely right, the government is picking on the small fry and letting the big sharks getting away with all. Does this not tell you that it maybe a coerup by the said government to let the big sahrks get away with the colossal crimes. This way they think that they can convince the people that they are looking after the public's own interest and "Cleaning the Party"?
I hope that the public is not that Stupid and fall for such a scheme. How many more PN Mayors are left now?
Joe Fenech
Aug 29th 2010, 12:47
The problem with the councils is that the big majority is formed of people who are incompetent; quasi-illiterate or illiterate; people without any track record: JUST PEOPLE WHO LIKE GETTING INVOLVED. Councils are closer to peasant cooperatives than to political entities. It's a communist system where anke iz-Zeza ta' Bubaqra could become mayor!
Look at the difference with councils like those of Valletta who is chaired by a professional person...
Scrap the system: mayors and councillors are ruining towns rather than improving them.
Stephen Koludrovic
Aug 29th 2010, 12:42
Lol. Being a councillor could be the springboard to an illustrious career as an MP.
Jamie Tanti
Aug 29th 2010, 11:36
bring back the good old days when these people would have been flogged through the town square ... I am sick of the corruption in our country ... and these are the manifestations of the tip of the iceberg, we all know that the rot is deeper ... and with this case, I am sure the ex mayor and his son have no shame, the shame for them will be in that they were caught. I regret voting PN at the last election.
Joe Xuereb
Aug 29th 2010, 11:19
It would be interesting to know if any, some, or none of these respectable gentlemen, all 'allegedly' greedy for money (but no smoke without fire) - it would be interesting to know if they go to church on Sundays and days of obligation. It is a very relevant question.
Charles Micallef
Aug 29th 2010, 10:52
It is not at all surprising that so many people want to become Councilors to serve the community!
The PN must be cursing the day that they burdened the local Councils with party politics as otherwise It would have saved them all the embarrassment that they are now facing!
G. Mangion
Aug 29th 2010, 10:52
What is happining at these counsils Shows that,
It is the P.N in Goerment who is Practicing ZERO TOLERANCE FOR CORRUPTION
Even if these cases are to be heard by the Courts of Law. ............
Michael Balzan
Aug 29th 2010, 10:48
no wonder he never returned my calls, no tenders involved
Alex Wright
Aug 29th 2010, 10:11
In the light of all these scandals happening at a local government (what a bombastic phrase for tiny rock like ours) level should indicate:
(a) the faults in the law, that do not foresee and prevent all these financial abuses; and
(b) the institutionalised corruption we are now used to living with.
Joseph E Briffa
Aug 29th 2010, 09:36
This habit of asking for a small concession is not new at all. 'Greasing one's palm' is not a Maltese phrase. In private clubs it is not unheard of either. I remember years back being told by the barman in a private club that only one brand of wine was available as it was imported by Mr X who sat on the club's committee. In another club all the meat products served for lunches were imported by a committee member. Some committee members argued that it was only natural for them to promote their own services and products: sort of it was only fair that they get something back in return for giving their services to the club for free. I am not condoning this behaviour at all. What I am trying to say is that this characteristic is ingrained in the make-up of a lot of people, and the poorer the nation the more it forms part of the culture of the place. We have all heard the saying that 'Min m'ghandux jghix ma min ghandu', and 'kull qalb trid ohra' Having said that, I agree that these bad habits must be discouraged, particularly when taxpayers' money is involved.
Ron Saliba
Aug 29th 2010, 10:46
excellent comment Mr. Briffa. I dare add that this , in my opinion,is a Mediterranean culture.
Paul Barrett
Aug 29th 2010, 09:26
Quote: misappropriating a council laptop after he allowed his daughter to use it to access Facebook. Unquote.
Legally this is of course an offence but honestly, unless there is far more behind this than has been released to the public, this is over the top complete waste of Police and Court time and would appear to be some form of persecution.
If this is the best and all they could come up with against the individual then he is comparatively a Saint.
Vincent Galea
Aug 29th 2010, 09:23
The question remains : How do you balance the need for money with the curse of money ?
Charles J. Buttigieg
Aug 29th 2010, 09:18
The resignation was accepted immediately by the party which in a statement said it was party general secretary Paul Borg Olivier who had referred to the corruption claims to the police for investigation.
Granted,but did PBO HAVE A CHOICE?
M.Gauci
Aug 29th 2010, 10:43
What a plumbeus argument! And if he had a choice like it seem Labour had in the Fgura case, would you think the NP would have acted in those ways? Yours is speculation, whist unfortunately for the party you adore, the facts (Fgura case) are against it.
Did Joseph Muscat have a choice in the Fgura case? Did Joseph Muscat pass evidence to the police the NP did? When you do not divulage evidence you become an accomplice.
Well you never know, I am sure now that Labour know they are losing credibility since the opposing party seeks no choices but rather acts and reports abuse, they might now have to do the same on their own cases and claim that they took long because they were gathering evidence or working behind the scenes. Yeah right, aren't we all gullible.
jbusuttil
Aug 29th 2010, 11:15
He could have done like the PL in Fgura case make the mayor resign u kollox taht it-tapit.
Darren Cassar
Aug 29th 2010, 09:17
Tajjeb li jduru id dipartimenti tal gvern u korporazzjonij ukoll ghall ingustizzji li qed isiru. Din hija korruzjoni wkoll. Nies li ma haqqhomx certu salarji, qabzu lil haddiehor, gew preferuti jew jiskartaw ghandhom jitwaqqfu u jittiehdu passi kontrijhom. Dawn qed jisirqu flus il-poplu.
Mario busuttil
Aug 29th 2010, 08:58
AND WHAT ABOUT THE BIG COMMISION OF THE EXTENSION OF POWERSTATION....ARE THE INVOLVED GOING TO BE PROCESSED IN COURT AND BE SENTENCED LIKE OTHERS DID.......I THINK EVERYONE WHO IS INPOSITION OF TENDERS RECEIVE COMMISION OR AGIFT INSTEAD ,THAT IS HOW TENDER PROCESS WORKS.......
JOSEPH ZAMMIT
Aug 29th 2010, 08:54
Smoke screens for the Power Station tenders, and others.....??????????
Tony Morris
Aug 29th 2010, 08:41
The tip of the iceberg I think, no get after the others!!
M. Fenech
Aug 29th 2010, 09:05
What happened to the Nikki Dimech saga? Aren't they going to take him to court? We had people on this site that, if they had the chance, they would have cruxified him without a trial!!
If they don't take him to court, it will be the prove that what he said is the whole truth!
a.dalli
Aug 29th 2010, 09:17
Is there a very big difference between for example Euro 4m as commission/consultancy fees
and this case?
It is a true case of two weights - three meassures!!!!!!!!!