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Update 2: Sliema mayor pleads not guilty to bribery charges

Sliema mayor Nikki Dimech was this evening granted bail against a deposit of €1,000 and a personal guarantee of €5,000 after he pleaded "definitely not guilty" to charges of reviling a public officer and asking for a bribe.

Bail was also given on condition that Mr Dimech does not travel abroad and does not approach anyone involved in the case, primarily contractor Stephen Buhagiar, directly or indirectly.

In a tense court sitting during which Mr Dimech’s girlfriend was thrown out of the courtroom after prosecutor Angelo Gafa complained about her gestures, defence lawyers Joe Giglio and Stephen Tonna Lowell argued that Mr Dimech should not have been arrested with urgency.

They said that he was being arraigned on two counts, one was a bribery charge that was investigated on August 11 and he had not been arraigned at that point.

But Inspector Gafa argued that Mr Dimech that the arrest was important because the mayor was giving interviews in which he was making very serious allegations against officers in charge.

The defence lawyers said that one should not be arrested just for criticising the authorities.

After taking a short break to consider the matter, Magistrate Joseph Apap Bologna decided the arrest had been justified.

At one point, the magistrate asked the lawyers if they were claiming that the inspector had broken the law during the interrogation and they said they were not.

However, their client believed that the interrogation had not been carried out as best as it could.

Inspector Gafa claimed that Mr Dimech had approached Mr Buhagiar through a third party requesting him to drop his claims.

Mr Dimech was elected on the PN ticket but resigned from the party last week after he was dismissed by the administration of the Nationalist Party in view of his admission to the police that he had solicited a commission from Mr Buhagiar.

The mayor, who is also facing a motion of no confidence by some of the Sliema councillors, has since denied the allegations and said he admitted to the “false accusations” after suffering a panic attack and telling the police “what they wanted to hear”.

The police have said all his rights under interrogation were respected.

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Roberta Dimech

Sep 2nd 2010, 12:23

Dear Mr Zammit,

Yes, infact, the person with his forearm in plaster is Inspector Gafa. Thank you for your interest.

Frans Attard

Sep 2nd 2010, 08:47

Have you been investigated just on what this Buhagiar reported to the police? Are there any witnesses?

Roberta Dimech

Sep 2nd 2010, 10:55

@ Frans Attard

I answer in Nikki's name...yes, this was the ONLY reason of the investigation - a farse!

At least the truth will come out in court now as certain media has inflated facts to its convenience.

Frans Attard

Sep 2nd 2010, 11:41

Thank you for your answer Ms.Dimech.

Frans Attard

Sep 2nd 2010, 12:33

Mid-dehra dawn ix-xufiera u ex-xufiera tal-membri parlamentari u tal-ministri ghandhom 'power' enormi.
Min jaf ghaliex?????????

MBorg

Sep 1st 2010, 18:45

You are right everybody is thinking that Nikki is being victimize I have never met , I do not know Nikki, but I do not like the way he is being treated. Someone , somewhere wants him out of the way quick. I only hope that when the councillors cast their vote tomorrow they will not be influenced by what is happening and will not vote to remove him. He is being treated like a hardened criminal when nothing has been proved yet. It is just Buhagiar's word against his. Why are they all believing Buhagiar and not Nikki?

Mark Agius

Sep 1st 2010, 16:18


Many others you forgot,Karin Grech being one of them.

C. Muscat

Sep 1st 2010, 17:02

I agree with you. ONCE BITTEN. TWICE SHY.

Tommy Vella

Sep 1st 2010, 17:30

You forgot also University students (especially medical), teachers on strike, bankers on strike, doctors on strike...the list seems to be endless.

Carmel Garcia

Sep 2nd 2010, 12:43

P. Camilleri ma nsejnihomx dawn u ghalhekk ma ghandniex ninsewhom ghax il-partit demokratiku KRISTJAN Nazzjonalista qed jikkoppja dak li ghamel haddiehor fil-passat. Kien hemm ghalfejn jinfetah bil-lejl il-qorti? Hemm bzonn ta' partit alternattiv f'dan il-pajjiz. Xbajna b'dawn iz-zewg partiti. Oqbra mbajda ghajjarhom Kristu lil-farizej.

D Bezzina

Sep 1st 2010, 12:04

Very Odd !

Mario Bonnici

Sep 1st 2010, 11:48

I agree with you

D Bezzina

Sep 1st 2010, 12:06

I also agree fully ..Somethings not right about this .

R Grima

Sep 1st 2010, 10:56

well if u have an id card registered in sliema, you are registered in the electoral register and that is how anyone can get your address

C Muscat

Sep 1st 2010, 09:04

Sur Frans Attard,
Now that you mentioned Buhagiar and the promise to keep clean; may I ask where is this Mr. Buhagiar in all this. If he bribed or tried to bribe dimech, he should be also charged accordingly. Don't you think so?

R Cassar

Sep 1st 2010, 09:22

He claimed this to have happened before the 11th Aug, therefore before Mr Dimech was even questioned and therefore before he even knew there had been this statement against him!!!

It was just a last desperate try at the magistrate to convince him to keep Mr Dimech arrested...that was the only intention behind this farse

Stefan Kottmann-Soler

Sep 1st 2010, 01:44

D Borg, there is no such thing as lawyer assistance DURING the interrogation, but only the possibility of speaking to a lawyer ON THE PHONE and for only 30 MINUTES BEFORE the interrogation. Secondly, there is a reason why a suspect may refuse to make this phone call - it is because if you decide to consult with your lawyer, anything you don't say in the subsequent interrogation may corrobate your guilt and may not be used to prove your innocence.

R Cassar

Sep 1st 2010, 07:40

And perhaps you should learn how to read and take your time before making your clever judgements...

He did not want a lawyer because he had already consulted a lawyer...because the so called "interrogation" was about the exact same thing of the 11 Aug...so he had no more to add...What do you think?

Joe Cordina

Sep 1st 2010, 07:59

A suspect can choose to speak to a lawyer before interrogation. Hoever if he does this then it would be very akward for him/her to refuse to answer questions or tell a lie hmmmmmmmmmm

Peter Korsten

Sep 1st 2010, 08:28

From what I understand, as soon as you request legal aid, you cannot add to your testimony things that you didn't tell the police (either because you forgot, or on purpose) before you contacted a lawyer. This is a relatively new law.

In other words, it's in your best interests not to have a lawyer present if the police interview you, at least for the first time.

R Cassar

Sep 1st 2010, 07:37

Dear Mr Zammit,

Aren't you being a little one-sided in your comments??
1) For one I don't understand since why Nikki, because of his profession as an auditor, should know what allegations about proper interrogation mean...a criminal would know that, not an honest person who has never harmed anyone;
2)Correction: he never said commission on Govt funds....the accuse is not regarding a tender and not a contract but an ex-contracts manager who was sacked because he cause havoc in the council...by the way, sacked by the whole lot, not Nikki;
3)Correction: The DLG is investigating the council not Nikki for the fairylights contract because the council takes collective decisions...for your info, other councillors have been called in for interrogation too...but it was not that interesting for the press as it would deflate Nikki's "story";
4)Nikki has not been found guilty of anything as yet...therefore perhaps you should moderate your terms...

Perhaps if you read different articles insead of quoting the same ones you would be a little more clever in your hasty judgement.

David Caruana

Aug 31st 2010, 23:48

Who needs a court hearing when we've got Mr.J.Tonna?!

So you are pointing fingers towards those who believe Nikki, but you, for some special reason, know exactly what happened, and that is that Nikki is guilty?!

If you know something that we don't know, you should maybe contact Inspector Gafa to help him in his investigations

Claire Busuttil

Aug 31st 2010, 23:56

ghamel x ghamel, nahseb gie attakat bizzejjed!

R. Azzopardi

Sep 1st 2010, 08:21

I have no faith in Nikki Dimech and haven't had faith in him for a long time however I have even less faith in the police force. If I didn't believe a word Mr. Dimech said about the case, I certainly believe what he said about his treatment when in custody.

G.Schembri

Aug 31st 2010, 23:43

Get real, why didn't the police investigate the power station contract? The law was changed midway, and millions of euros were involved in that case, then the law caourts are opened at 8.00 pm because of an alledged invitation of corruption, which would have amounted to much less. And you have the nerve to say we are fighting corruption, go tell it to the marines.

mbrincat

Sep 1st 2010, 00:13

Il-partit nazzjonalista mhux jaghmel hlief jisvijja lill- publiku mill-kaz ta' kurruzzjoni tal-BSvW

Frans Attard

Sep 1st 2010, 08:28

Irraguna G.Schembri, biex in-nazzjonalisti waslu biex jibdew iressqu nies il-qorti fuq korruzzjoni u jibdew minn nies taghhom stess, dawn huma veru 'Qaddisin Jimxu Fl-Art'.

P.Barbara

Sep 1st 2010, 11:01

Tara l-ahbarijiet kullhadd jitkellem fuq Nikki Dimech miskien ara veru qed jaghmlu fass fuqu biex il-poplu jghid oooooohhhh kemm ghandna partit fil-gvern li hu nadif. Jahasra talli tkellem kontra ufficjal fil-pn qed jaghmlulu kollox bil-kbir lill Nikki biex zgur jalqullu halqu u joruh li huma akbar minnhu. Nikki ghamel kuragg u dak li taf tkellem. Ghandek ragum mbrincat mieghek naqbel jien.

Duncan Scerri

Aug 31st 2010, 20:52

Well, according to Dimech, he was not permitted legal representation to be present during questioning. That being said, this is the way things work here. Rights? Get real.

V.Micallef

Aug 31st 2010, 20:37

The answer to that is "YES".

Dennis Agius

Aug 31st 2010, 20:46

To C Muscat: Do you mean if the no confidence in the council is in favour of Mr Dimech, the Police should drop Charges? He is still innocent until proved guilty in court! Mr Dimech admitted to "false accusations" and told the Police "what they wanted to hear"! was he held at gun point? he had the right to remain silent, contacting a lawyer, and an intelligent person like Mr Dimech should know better.

martin saliba

Aug 31st 2010, 20:50

How can someone be found guilty on the word of someone else especially in this case where there seems to be a political motive of some sort ? Is there a paper trail , recording , anything to prove his guilt ? I do not know this person but if there is no hard evidence against him i would rather see a guilty man go free than an inocent man convicted. Remember that ther are others that got away because of no hard evidence and millions of euros are involved.

Gianni Xuereb

Aug 31st 2010, 20:53

Yes, yes yes.

Remember Harry Vassallo's charges just before the election ?

Gianni8nu Saliba

Aug 31st 2010, 20:57

What a question by C. Muscat and an answer by V. Micallef. The correct answer is: "Yes we were living in a police state under Mintoff and iz-zero. Fenech Adami made sure that those days are over". For your information, my friends, Gonzi is making sure that those days will never come again... and he is succeeding. First he managed to get rid of the name Malta Labour Party, now he is making sure that their emblem disappears from the face of the earth and in just under three years from now he will make sure that offspring of the MLP dies a natural death. The PL's grave is being dug now. Unemployment is the second lowest in the EU. The number of of persons in employment is at its peak. Tourism is going to reach new heights this year. The GDP is growing, the gap between Government income and expenditure is shrinking. Foreign investment is still reaching our shores. Yes, the PL's grave is almost dug.

David Caruana

Aug 31st 2010, 22:08

@ Dennis Agius

Yes Mr.Agius, he was practically held at gunpoint if the allegations are true. He suffers from asthma and was allegedly not given his inhaler, putting his life in danger as a gun to his head would have.

Yes he had the right to remain silent, but how would you act during an asthma and panic attack?

He did contact a lawyer, who happened to be abroad. He was allegedly NOT allowed to phone another lawyer.

Are you following the whole story or do you just repeat what NET TV says?

Joshua Borg

Aug 31st 2010, 22:15

How quickly Europe is moving towards a new totalitarianism!

C Muscat

Aug 31st 2010, 23:16

I am living now and whatever was the case 20 or 30 years ago does not justify using the police for political reasons. What we condemned before is also bad now. Whatever the outcome of the no confidence vote I do not care. I would like to add that I am against any corruption or mismanagement from whatever side and for any amount. I feel this case is being manipulated. I am also against any power being used abusively. I hope the law and order are used according to the justice statue ... not being sided ... and the same to all .. the same for the strong ... the same for the weak. If the police are being used by the politicians it is a big shame.

Christopher Scerri

Sep 1st 2010, 02:02

@Gianni8nu Saliba
Are you really living in Malta or what?? Wake up to reality!!

Caremn Said

Sep 1st 2010, 08:06

@ Gianninu Saliba
Ahjar ma qrajt xejn dak li ktibt int ghax tellghajtli l-corn flakes! Immissek tisthi!

M. Calleja

Sep 1st 2010, 12:42

@ Gianninu Salibu
Nahseb kont rieqed u hlomt holma sur Gianninu. Jien dik il-holma ili nohlomha mill-'87.
Sewwa tkellmet Carmen Said ta' qabli, u kellha ragun ittellgha l-corn flakes.
Ahjar zammejt halqek maghluq dal-ghodu siehbi, ghax kont taqta' figura ahjar.

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