Sliema’s former Nationalist mayor Nikki Dimech was yesterday sentenced to one year’s imprisonment after he was found guilty of bribing the council’s former contracts manager in 2010.

However, Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit acquitted the 33-year-old of reviling, threatening or insulting Police Inspector Angelo Gafà, who headed the investigation. Mr Dimech will be appealing.

The judgment had not been published by the time of going to print and is expected to be made available today.

During proceedings, the former contracts manager, Stephen Buhagiar, testified that before he was given the post, Mr Dimech had quite plainly asked him how much he was ready to “offer”, such as five or 10 per cent commission, to secure him the job.

Mr Buhagiar said he immediately pointed out that with a salary of €1,200 per month (attached to the contracts manager’s position), he had little to offer. After that he never heard the matter being mentioned again.

Five months into the job, however, he noticed that certain things were being done to his detriment and he then lost his job. He has been out of work ever since.

On his arraignment, Mr Dimech was described as a “threat to society” by Inspector Gafa’.

During the course of his interrogation Mr Dimech made two statements: one that he had dismissed the contractor’s offer of a commission and another three hours later that he did in fact request payment.

In an interview with The Sunday Times, Mr Dimech claimed the police had forced him to make a false statement after he was told his political career was over.

“The police inspector told me that if I didn’t admit to the false allegation he would make a show of me in front of the press,” Mr Dimech said, an allegation that has been flatly denied by the inspector.

In a statement, the Nationalist Party said Mr Dimech’s conviction proved it was right to have dismissed him as soon as the police started investigating.

The party recalled that at the time it had come under sustained attack from the Labour Party, which had lasted months, for taking the decision to dismiss him.

Time had shown how the PL was populist and believed that the “end justified the means”, the PN said.