Attard councillor admits damaging church parvis - PN condemnation
(Adds PN's condemnation)
Labour councillor John Bonnici, 62 of Attard, this morning admitted in court to having caused damaged of €350 to the parvis of Attard parish church on July 16 last year.
The police told the court that Mr Bonnici had initially denied his involvement, but new witnesses then came forward and said he was the person who had damaged the balustrades of the parvis. His reason was the fact that the balustrades were blocking easy access to the Labour Party club and people had to walk around the church to get to it.
Mr Bonnici had asked the mayor to remove them, but after the request was turned down he took matters into his own hands and damaged some of the balustrades with a plank of wood.
Inspector Elton Taliana said that as a member of the council, Mr Bonnici should be setting an example not doing the contrary.
Defence counsel Maria Azzopardi said her client had a lot of pressure as he had promised to remove the balustrades because even the band club wanted them removed.
Magistrate Edwina Grima said the court had noted the admission of the accused and the fact that he would pay for the damage, The court therefore imposed a five-month jail term suspended for a year.
PN'S CONDEMNATION
The PN in a statement condemned the act of vandalism and said it expected the Labour Party's administration to take disciplinary action against this councillor.
It said that through his behaviour, Mr Bonnici, rendered his position as councillor untenable.
AD's CONDEMNATION
AD's Attard councillor Ralph Cassar said that the way to resolve conflicts and disagreements was through discussion and dialogue.
Vandalism was never justifiable, he said.
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Petra Caruana
Sep 9th 2010, 11:38
How very incredible .... two days later and NO ACTION by Labour has been taken! SHAME
Muscat Pat
Sep 9th 2010, 10:35
So the Labour Councillor should resign because of a ballustrade, but no PN minister should resign, notwithstanding we are awash with one financial scandal after an other? Where is your sense of priorities?
gaffarena joseph
Sep 8th 2010, 12:01
Maybe this man was still thinking that he is still living in the 1980.?
m.farrugia
Sep 8th 2010, 00:04
Il-Labour ghandu jordna lil dan il-kunsillier jirrizenja mhux ghax ghamel dan l-att jista ikun f'sahna aktar milli biex jghin lil tal-bar tal-kazin, imma ghax instab hati u nghata sentaenza ta habs li giet mibdula f'wahda sospizi. din tal-ahhar saret moda, forsi ghax ma hemmx spazju fil-habs
L.Farrugia
Sep 8th 2010, 00:00
nahseb li l-knisja kellha ragun meta fl-1993 qalet li hafna nies ta stoffa kif nghid bil-malti kienu se jibqaw il-boghod milli jkun kunsilliera minhabba l-involviment politiku. Veru dawn huma ftit kazi li sa issa hargu fil-berah. Hemm bzonn li l-partiti politici jew izommu il-boghod milli kunsilli jew inkella jarblu sewwa lil min jkunu se johorgu kandidati.
Steve Borg
Sep 7th 2010, 18:47
First Labour supported Nikki Dimech despite his admission of soliciting a bribe and now they support one of their councillors who has been given a prison sentence from the Criminal Courts. Incredible ... What a huge disappointment Joseph Muscat has become
Mariella Caruana
Sep 7th 2010, 18:26
6 hours have passed an Labour keeps mum! Trasparency at its' very best!! What a shame
jsaliba
Sep 7th 2010, 17:42
Mr John Bonnici's unlawful act does not reflect the PL's direction or policy. I would call it a personal mistake as much a mistake as others of both colours. From your news piece no interdict was imposed. If so It is up the said councillor to decide until next Zebbug council elections or his PL might expel him from representing the party sending a message of no tolerance to violence. Cannot valid people make mistakes? Does not serving his fellow citizens weigh something in his favour? Is he condemned forever?
Robert Calafato
Sep 7th 2010, 17:28
At least, thank God, the balustrades did not "fall" on anybody!!
Emanuel Farrugia
Sep 7th 2010, 17:27
Qeghdin taraw minn huma n-nies li hawn fil-Kunsilli Lokali.
Emanuel Farrugia former Executive Secretary Mtarfa Local Council
N.J. Borg
Sep 7th 2010, 17:25
The said balustrades does not form part of the parvis of Attard Paridh Church. Is forms part of the balustrades surrounding Pjazza Tommaso Dingli close to the parish church. Last year part of these bulastrades were TWICE removed. This is only for correctness and not to diminish the seriousness of the case.
R.Borg
Sep 7th 2010, 16:40
I am one hundred per cent sure that the New PL Administration will shortly expel from the party this individual.
Andrew B. Gatt
Sep 7th 2010, 17:15
That's the right spirit my friend. But make it at least two expulsions ( in my opinion hundreds ). Expel all those within PL ranks that consider acts like these as " JUST ACTING FOR THE GOOD OF THE PEOPLE " ! People like these make me shiver !!!
H Galea
Sep 7th 2010, 15:48
Magistrate Grima, i condem the act of vandalism, but people living in the same street, also do not have access to the church door. They have to go round the church. Pls let us also find a solution to residents. Even by walk, the way is blocked. The parvis can easly be fixed to let access to people in general. The street is made up right up to the parvis, so why i/we are stopped from walking. I like a fool, had to walk the way back. Where are the experts of MEPA, why was the road built .This is what's happening in our country, we castrate a person, but the problem remains untill another case appears in Court, thus blocking important Court Settings. We have to stop making half baked puddings.That's why the emblem of the Court is a we weighing scale, so that both parties receive a just sentence.
A. Pace
Sep 7th 2010, 17:40
H.Galea. Kindly note that the square is only closed on the eve of the feast while the local band club perform the yearly concert in the evening when there is no mass and also the people in the street know that there is another door at the back of the Church, mind you walking a few mtrs. does not harm anybody.
Anthony Castillo
Sep 7th 2010, 15:19
Back to square one, these people never change no matter how many leaders they change because the example should start at the top the result would be as always since years and years ago.Maltese people watch out and take nothing for granted
leonardo vince
Sep 7th 2010, 16:08
U Gahan gibed il-bieb warajh u halla ftuh kbir ghall-korruzzjoni.
C.Vella
Sep 7th 2010, 14:50
Mr Bonnici had initially denied his involvement, but new witnesses then came forward............................................ Magistrate Edwina Grima said the court had noted the admission of the accused. ???????????? only because he was exposed, right?
Mark Bonello
Sep 7th 2010, 14:39
I think damaging the parvis which was obstructing the entrance to two public structures is nothing compared to the series of grave corruption incidents we heard from GonziPN councillors lately. I also think the parvis themselves were an act of disrespect from the GonziPN council. Also he should not be expelled just for acting for the good of the people, even though in an extreme way so of course the court judgement is correct and enough of a punishment. So please GonziPN fans..shut up..!!!
Andrew B. Gatt
Sep 7th 2010, 15:38
" acting for the good of the people ". Int bis-serjeta' siehbi ? Mela allura skond int naghmluh sindku ! Kif tista' tafdahom dawn in-nies ( il-lejboristi ) ? Inkissru, infarrku u insawwtu u nahqru, u wara nghidu " actiong for the good of the people ". Ghal darb'ohra, fl-2013 PN bil-qalb !
Joseph Camilleri
Sep 7th 2010, 14:38
"Defence counsel Maria Azzopardi said her client had a lot of pressure as he had promised to remove the balustrades because even the band club wanted them removed."
All that pressure! How would the MLP behave when it has the pressure of running a country?
George Cassar
Sep 7th 2010, 14:36
Excellent. What the times report failed to note is that the guy is the so called minority leader of the mlp on the attard council. Way to go! So much for setting the example and all that nonsense. just resign will you!
Franco Farrugia
Sep 7th 2010, 14:17
Once again, and I say this with regret, owing to many local councillors who DO deserve to be representatives of their own localities and who are there to serve - most local councillors are nothing but village idiots who were elected because they came from their respective village political clubs - il-kazini! - and nothing else. But one gets what one deserves, I suppose.
Steven Camilleri
Sep 7th 2010, 14:59
Franco Farrugia , mind your words, this councillor was never elected by the Village Kazini but by the Attard population, if the La Stella Levantina Band Club wanted to elect their own personal candidate they would have done so like they did way back in Attard's first local council , trashing all Labour and PN candidates. Anti Festa people like you should be carefull how they speak if they no nothing about the issue but as usual , empty pots like you make more sound. As for other people getting along with the 80's issues about vandalisim you should try and get the story before commenting as in Attard we have no hatred to each other and our local council always worked hand in hand about our issue's , this is just a one off .
PN KANVASSER SPEAKING HERE.
Maria D.Sacco
Sep 7th 2010, 15:52
@ Franco Farrugia: You're not far from the truth. Just check some local councils in certain small villages in the south of malta, and you'll see what I mean. You have only to see some commemorative plaques to understand. In one case I know, the victim's name on the plaque is overshadowed by the local mayor's name, making you wonder whether the monument had been erected in honour of the mayor instead!
@ Steven Camilleri (who ended his letter "PN KANVASSER SPEAKING HERE" (sic): Roma locuta est, causa finita, sort of!!! U hallina, siehbi!
Steven Camilleri
Sep 7th 2010, 17:02
Mrs Maria Sacco , i made my point with the canvasser thing just to point out that im no labourite trying to tease nationalist's , go ahead , you vote for people that pretend to love the village and use the local council as a stepping stone for some party in the next major election, i and the common village idiot will vote to who really loves his village, besides, taqla giex balavostri u jergaw jitqeghda xhar wara hardly is any vandalisim in my book or are you another one that is jumping against what this counciler did because of his colour ?
Steven Camilleri
Sep 7th 2010, 18:04
You should know the story before commenting ,the parvis taken down wasen t even part of the church, but part of the square,one should suppose that what is good for Mr A , is good for Mr B , everybody who knows what goes on in this village knows that this is a big injustice on Mr.Bonnici.
Pat Hobson
Sep 7th 2010, 14:12
While I condemn all kinds of vandalism, I still find it amusing that the PN commenters here find the time to comment about the vandalism incurred on a few balustrades to make a passageway, and yet not comment on the way certain PN councillors accused of minor defilements, corruption, mismanagement of finances, etc. And how about some comments on the way the BWSC affair was handled? No comments. Even the EU had to intervene because of the way this affair was handled, and yet no comments coming from the PN side. Need I say more? Which is the most important to you PNers, our health or just a few balustrades. Seems you've got your priorities all wrong. Or you're trying to take a shot at the PL to cover your own backsides of the mess your party is in?
M. Debono
Sep 7th 2010, 18:39
I agree. This over-the-top moralizing is simply ridiculous. Everyone is trying to squeeze each ounce of political capital out of every event. But I guess this is what you get in a country where elections are decided by a handful of votes.
C Galea
Sep 7th 2010, 14:05
People in glasshouses should not walk around naked :-)
Biex tiskongra trid tkun Pur ..l-ahwa !
Edward Vella
Sep 7th 2010, 14:04
Many people contest the local councils election for their personal gain ONLY.
Marton Saliba
Sep 9th 2010, 10:59
Add it tends to be irrelevant what the party is as well.
In fact, his actions have nothing to do with his political biasness. I can't see the connection anyway, even after the civil war in this country (yeah, say what you want, it was a civil war)
albert leone ganado
Sep 7th 2010, 14:00
This is classic stuff of the little village world of Peppino and Don Camillo. However I think in the circumstance Peppino would have been much smarter and imaginative. Let us see the petty and pathetic side of it rather than transform it into some shattering political happening on the national scene. Of course the councillor should resign for being so foolish
J. Zammit
Sep 7th 2010, 13:53
@ A. Vassallo: everybody knows what the nationalist did when celebrating their election victories!!!! Everybody knows that they had 2 containers of wigs to celebrate with!!!! Plus the burning of the labour billboards and attacking of the Labour Clubs!!!!!!!!
One wonders why the Attard PN mayor did not want to remove the balustrades. Obviously because the PL club was involved. If it was the other way round, they would have made a big ceremony with cutting of a ribbon to establish that we have a democtratic country.
EJ Formosa and the rest: continue enjoying paying the high and esuberant electricity bills and continue to inhale the exagerated pollution that we have. Obviously it will be far more worse with the new extension of the Power Station:-(
Fiona Debono
Sep 7th 2010, 13:52
More than 2 hours have passed since the announcement of this new and Labour is dead silent .... Come on Joseph Muscat pluck up some courage for once and sack this councillor!
M Mifsud
Sep 7th 2010, 13:58
Shame! Shame! Shame! Even on this issue they seem to be sitting on the fence!
victor borg
Sep 7th 2010, 13:15
To all you PN bloggers. So labourites are all the same breaking ballustrades and hurting people.
Are there any of you old enough to remember what happened to us after a labour meeting in Rabat Gozo before the 1962 elections, people were lucky no one was killed with the huge amount of stones thrown at us in the name of the church. But why go that far back how about the
ballustrades that ACCIDENTALLY fell from the PN club's roof in Zebbug square in the 80's, and after a few years someone was heard to say he would tell about this unless he was given a building permit in Zebbug.
joseph francis
Sep 7th 2010, 14:10
In 1962 I was not born so I cant remember. But since I was born in 1968 I also happen to remember what happened between 1981 and 1987. I can remember what happened at Rabat, at the Kurja, at tal-Barrani etc etc etc. The wolf may change his clothes but not his character.
Rachel Borg
Sep 7th 2010, 13:14
Now I hope Joseph Muscat walks the walk and kicks out this Labour councillor!
Stephen Bonello
Sep 7th 2010, 12:58
What a shame! This person doesn't deserve to represent the residents of Attard and should immediately tender his resignation. He definitely cannot remotely imagine of retaining his post as councillor.
It's high time the MLP starts vetting its candidates if it wants to be taken seriously
Joe Cassar
Sep 7th 2010, 13:48
Like the PN vetted the Mayor of Sliema?
:)
j.cassar
Sep 7th 2010, 12:58
U dan qieghed fl-oppozzizzjoni u jaghmel li jrid, mur ara kieku kien fil-Gvern mur kelmu lilu u shabu, ilpup libsien ta' hrief dawk li huma. Tafdawhom qatt.
Geoffrey Mifsud Farugia
Sep 7th 2010, 12:54
From farcical to tragi-comical..expecting it to turn to melodramatic any day now!
Have we just scraped the tip of the iceberg with regards to local council??
G. Borg
Sep 7th 2010, 12:49
Hafna mill kunsilliera qeghdin jitbelhu, ghandikun !!
C.Camilleri
Sep 7th 2010, 12:39
@ Anthony Mercieca
If we take the Slema Local Coucil saga and use your own yardstick, should we come to the conclusion that this is the way the PN runs the country?
Jamie Tanti
Sep 7th 2010, 12:35
He did not admit to the police and only came clean when witnesses came forward ... resign. When will the political parties realise that we deserve better candidates and better choice.
L. Cutajar
Sep 7th 2010, 12:34
He should resign from the Local Council. What does MLP has to say?
Andrew B. Gatt
Sep 7th 2010, 12:47
For the record. He should not be given the chance to resign. Unanimously, the Coucil is obliged to vote for his expulsion. Example should be given. For the love of Attard and its good residents. Whether white, black, red, blue or green !
Reno Casha
Sep 7th 2010, 13:16
The council cannot vote to expel a member, otherwise the majority can always expel a minority councillor... his party or he himself has to resign....
imagine a councillor or an MP being expelled by the majority in the council/parliament by a vote..that would be undemocratic.... yes it can take away all his responsibilities (like parliament can remove a minister/prime minister from office) but i cannot expel an elected representative!.... having said this yes he SHOULD be forced to resign
Andrew B. Gatt
Sep 7th 2010, 15:24
@ Reno Casha - we seem to agree in principle. That is why I said unanimously. What he did is completely wrong. His behaviour was to condemn. I'm sure that PN and PL agree. So simple ! Just resigning of his own will would mean that one fine day he may be back.
A. Vassallo
Sep 7th 2010, 12:31
These people (il-lajburisti) will never change. In 2013 do not take any chances.They will probabbly repeat what they did every time they won an election.
elton cutajar
Sep 7th 2010, 13:28
Ara veru insejtuh zmienkhom habib ! u dak li ghamiltu fil- passat. Ara jkollokx cans u ara dan il- video biex ingeddidlek ftit il- memorji jew biex tiehu idea x' kien jigri fil- kamp nazzjonalista jekk forsi kont ghadek ma twelidtx !! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YYeBZoc7yBA&has_verified=1 ( u jekk dejjem joghobha li it - times of malta tippermetti. grazzi)
rodrick dimech
Sep 7th 2010, 17:59
kemm nikkoregik naqa ..id-dinja ser tispicca fi 2012 , l-elezzjoni mux ser tilhaq issir. fis-sena 2013..hehehehhehee ..jigifieri mux ser issir dak li qed tghid int...pronostiku naqa zmerc....
EJ Formosa
Sep 7th 2010, 12:27
A chip of the old block!!!!! Come 3000AD and Labour would still haven't changed.
D Attard
Sep 7th 2010, 12:52
Give them a chance. They still need a new emblem!
What labour needs is to get rid of the old people.
Dennis Zammit
Sep 7th 2010, 12:23
The court noted his admission ...... where? Only after a new witness confirmed his involvement did he admit; when he couldn't do otherwise.
Lawrence Bonello
Sep 7th 2010, 12:20
Reminescent of Guareschi's Peppone! The only difference is that he's not a Mayor!
M.Azzopardi
Sep 7th 2010, 12:12
Progressives and moderates in action!!!
Anthony Mercieca
Sep 7th 2010, 12:12
Just a sip of how Labour/ites would act once they regain power
Franco Farrugia
Sep 7th 2010, 12:28
Emmm... I think that people in glasshouses should be the last to throw stones ... especially in these days! Enough said Nobody is pure!
Victor Laiviera
Sep 7th 2010, 12:28
Speculation.
We don't have to speculate on how the PN would behave in power because we can see it before our own eyes.
More specifically, in the Delimara Power Station tender.
john
Sep 7th 2010, 12:37
the ex sliema major was "Just a sip" of that the pn did in the last 30 years !!!
Andrew B. Gatt
Sep 7th 2010, 12:57
@ Victor Laiviera - we do not have to speculate about MLP / PL either. It's obvious. Same people around, same behaviour !
Joseph Buhagiar
Sep 7th 2010, 12:12
Il-gahan Malti :(
C.Conti
Sep 7th 2010, 15:16
How right you are !!
We estimate that these people amount to around 75% of the Maltese population.
victor vella
Sep 7th 2010, 12:10
Let's see another resignation hopefully.
Andrew B. Gatt
Sep 7th 2010, 12:34
Not resignation, EXPULSION !
gcForte
Sep 7th 2010, 12:09
Qeghed nahsiba niktibx ktieb fuq il kummidji u it teatrini li qeghedin jghamlu il kunsilli taz zewg partiti......il problema li qeghed nara hija li jekk nibdih, nilhaq immut u ma nispiccah qatt,
Chris Frendo
Sep 7th 2010, 12:08
"Defence counsel Maria Azzopardi said her client had a lot of pressure as he had promised to remove the balustrades because even the band club wanted them removed."
Is this guy for real?!!