The government has given the beleaguered Sliema council 10 days to get its act together or it will be dissolved, as its operations are disrupted by criminal proceedings being faced by four councillors.
The warning came in a letter to the council following a report drawn up by the Director for Local Government, who recommended the dissolution of the local council.
The government, however, gave the council 10 days to solve pending issues and agree on a way forward.
If the council is dissolved it would be the fourth to suffer this fate since the inception of councils in 1993, following Paola, Sannat and Mtarfa.
In his report, the director had referred to a number of investigations carried out by the Internal Audit and Investigations Directorate.
He said conclusions of irregularities had been confirmed and they involved the former mayor, the former executive secretary, the former deputy executive secretary and a number of council members.
Following these findings, the local government department monitored the council’s meetings which showed it could not operate because of court proceedings against some of its councillors.
The government in a statement said it was clear there were “a number of circumstances which are disrupting procedures, including lack of cooperation among councillors”.
This was making it difficult for the council to function. Efforts to solve the situation and the divergences between councillors had proved futile.
“The report of the Director for Local Government concludes that this situation is not allowing the council to function and no progress is being achieved on a number of initiatives,” the government said.
The Sliema council, which was traditionally led by a majority of Nationalist councillors, is currently made up of four PN councillors, five independents and two councillors representing Labour.
A troubled council
Problems at the Sliema council began in 2010 when the executive secretary flagged up possible mismanagement of public funds in connection with a tender awarded for the installation of fairy lights on trees along the town’s promenade.
The Department for Local Government investigated and passed the case on to the Internal Audit and Investigations Department within the Office of the Prime Minister.
Concurrently, the police started their own investigation into claims of bribery and former mayor Nikki Dimech admitted to the police to having asked for a commission in relation to a public contract. However, he later contested the status of this confession, claiming he was coerced into signing the statement while suffering a panic attack triggered after the police failed to give him access to his asthma inhaler.
The police denied the claim and charged him with bribery, two days before he faced, and eventually lost, a vote of no confidence at the Sliema council. It has been alleged in court that Mr Dimech received about €25,000 in commission.
Former Nationalist councillor Sandra Camilleri had resigned from the PN over its handling of the issue involving Mr Dimech.
Subsequently, another police investigation into computer misuse led to the filing of criminal charges against PN councillor Yves Bobby Cali and Labour councillor Martin Debono.
Councillor Johanna Gonzi replaced Mr Dimech as mayor.
In yet another blow to the council, PN councillor Cyrus Engerer was the next to resign from his party to join Labour but stayed on as an independent councillor, as did Mr Dimech, Ms Camilleri and Mr Cali. Mr Debono too became an independent.