A loyal Nationalist councillor has confirmed a claim that Nationalist MP Robert Arrigo insisted on having one of his supporters kept in the employ of the Sliema council in a disagreement that had to be resolved by the party.

Councillor Yves (Bobby) Calì told The Times how he confronted Mr Arrigo after the latter complained about the council’s dismissal of Stephen Buhagiar, the MP’s former driver who had been working as the council’s contracts manager.

Former Sliema mayor Nikki Dimech is currently facing charges for soliciting a bribe from Mr Buhagiar when he was given the job.

During the first hearing in that court case, Police Inspector Angelo Gafà quoted Mr Dimech saying, under police interrogation, that Mr Arrigo asked the council to favour “his people” for jobs and tried to persuade the then mayor not to sack Mr Buhagiar.

Speaking to The Times, Mr Arrigo “categorically denied” Mr Dimech’s allegations, pointing out that the former mayor is facing criminal charges after admitting to the police he solicited a bribe “together with other serious admissions”.

“The allegations made by Mr Dimech in my regard are absolutely fictitious and untrue. Also, I have always believed that any applicant for any job should be competent on his own merits.”

He said that in his role as an elected representative of the people, he always believed he was at the service of his constituents to the best of his abilities with “utmost respect to the rules of law”.

But Mr Calì, who only weeks ago voted with his party to oust Mr Dimech, confirmed that he was annoyed with Mr Arrigo over the Stephen Buttigieg affair and the council took the issue to party level for it to be resolved.

Mr Calì said he was not present when Mr Arrigo and Mr Buhagiar visited Mr Dimech at the council for a meeting at night, as claimed by Mr Dimech during the police interrogation. “Nikki is probably confusing two meetings that took place at around the same time. I happened to meet Robert and Nikki on a different occasion. That’s when the subject about Mr Buhagiar’s dismissal came up and the disagreement between Robert and me escalated.”

Eventually, the matter was taken to party level where it was found that the council’s motion to terminate Mr Buhagiar’s post was valid.

Mr Calì said the council was prepared to assist MPs who forwarded genuine complaints from their constituents but when it came to appointing key people, they needed to appoint those most appropriate for the job, “not because they are backed by someone”.

“This is especially so when this is to the detriment of someone better suited for that particular job.”

He said it was “understandable” for MPs to help those most loyal to them to improve their presence within their constituencies “but there’s a limit”, adding that Mr Buhagiar had failed to comply with his contractual obligations.

“From three abstentions to his approval for the job, he ended up with all those present bar one voting against him at the end of his six-month probation stint,” Mr Calì said.

Mr Buhagiar was then dismissed by the council.

One of the several things that irritated some of the councillors about him was that he continued to use Mr Arrigo’s car while he was meant to be working for the council.

“Even I saw him once... It’s not on. It doesn’t look good. Even if there is nothing illegal about it; it annoyed me and I made sure that the message for it not to be repeated was brought to his notice. One wants people working for the council to be as independent and impartial as possible.”

Mr Arrigo spent two full terms as mayor and, later, his wife became mayor as well. He naturally “did all he could” to ensure Mr Dimech, his protégé, was elected, Mr Calì said.

“This is something Mr Arrigo himself admitted to. He organised parties, sent invites and phoned people. His staff even called my mother asking her to give Nikki first preference,” Mr Calì said.

“On one occasion I was pressed to attend one of the ‘parties for Nikki as mayor’. Some prospective councillors were there while others were spared the invitation. That’s Robert’s way of doing things but I don’t have to agree with everything he does.”