The Labour mayor of Cospicua, Joseph Scerri, was yesterday banned by a court from being a councillor for the next five years for attending a meeting when the employment of an in-law was discussed.

Mr Scerri was found guilty of failing to withdraw from a council meeting that discussed the appointment of his nephew’s wife who had applied for the post of executive secretary.

Magistrate Antonio Mizzi banned Mr Scerri from being a councillor for five years, the maximum, and fined him €500. According to the Local Councils Act, a councillor who fails to withdraw from a council meeting that discusses the tenure or appointment of service – among other things – of a relative can be fined up to €700 and disqualified from holding the office of councillor up to five years.

Mr Scerri was cleared of not declaring the relationship to the council.

His defence lawyer, Chris Cardona, said they would appeal the judgment.

The case, handled by Police Inspector Angelo Gafà, was reported to the police by the Local Councils Department.

The Nationalist Party said Mr Scerri’s case revealed the lack of honesty by the Labour Party and its leader Joseph Muscat.

Dr Muscat, who, the PN said, was very close to Mr Scerri, chose to hide the conflict of interest instead of doing his utmost to ensure that Labour councillors worked correctly by asking him to resign.

On several occasions, the PN said it had proved it was ready to take action against its councillors once they appeared in court. Instead, Dr Muscat chose to be an accomplice with people who broke the law, it said.