Żabbar’s new mayor says he “looks forward, not back” and will not comment on the actions of the previous council or his predecessor, Quinton Scerri.
Councillor Marc Vella Bonnici replaced Mr Scerri last Wednesday after a Local Governance Board report slammed his leadership, prompting his resignation on July 8.
Yesterday, Mr Vella Bonnici refused to answer any questions related to the controversy.
“I look forward, not back. My aim is to improve on past experiences,” was his reply to several questions.
“The most important thing right now is that the local council starts operating as it should for the benefit of the people of Żabbar, firstly by settling certain issues related to the day-to-day running of the council, while also introducing other projects and initiatives.
“What I can guarantee is that all councillors are eagerly waiting to resume their work,” he said.
Mr Vella Bonnici was asked whether he had supported the former leader or was one of the councillors who refused to attend meetings if Mr Scerri remained at the helm.
He was also asked whether he was among those who requested accounts related to two events organised under Mr Scerri’s tenure.
A question about his opinion on the board’s report remained unanswered and Mr Vella Bonnici did not even reply when asked to spell out his priorities for the locality.
Mr Scerri filed a judicial protest last week holding the authorities responsible for his resignation.
He is challenging the validity of the board’s investigation and said he had resigned because he wanted to clear his name.
Mr Scerri quit last month after being accused of irresponsibility and acting outside the law.
In his judicial protest, Mr Scerri insisted that the investigating board was a member short when it issued the damning report about his performance.
The board concluded that Mr Scerri’s strong showing at the polls “must have gone to his head” and prompted him to forget all procedures on how a council was run.
In a statement, Mr Scerri said the “unfair” report was based on inaccuracies and reached “unfounded” and “malicious” conclusions.