St Paul's Bay local council has been instructed by the government to revoke a decision taken yesterday where a works supervisor contract was awarded to a member of the council.

timesofmalta.com reported yesterday how the Labour-controlled council decided to award the contract to councillor Jason Camilleri , with several councillors claiming he had a serious conflict of interest.

The labour councillor promptly announced his resignation from the council in an acknowledgement of the conflict.

The government in a statement this afternoon said Jose' Herrera, parliamentary secretary responsible for local councils had told the Local Government Department to instruct the council or evoke its decision because it violated the law.

The Local Councils Act provides that no councillor may bid for a council contract.

The Secretariat said the instruction to St Paul's Bay council was being taken in the interest of good governance and accountability. 

Mr Camilleri was awarded the contract  despite having submitted the highest bid, at €17,900. The lowest bid of the shortlisted three announced by the council was €15,800.

Commenting on his tender submission, Mr Camilleri said he would not let his position as a councillor get in the way of a "good opportunity".

"The thing is, if this was the other way around I would have no problem in voting for Nationalist councillors," Mr Camilleri said referring to several councillors who, he said seemed to have gone from supporting his application to being against it.

In July, the Transport Ministry ordered the same council to remove residential parking notices set up all along the bay without prior approval by Transport Malta.