Nikki Dimech was yesterday ousted as Sliema mayor and replaced with his deputy, Joanna Gonzi, who denied Labour allegations that this was all a power struggle between opposing factions within the Nationalist Party.
During a packed council meeting, PN councillor Cyrus Engerer presented a motion of no confidence in Mr Dimech, saying the police accusations against him put the council’s work in difficulty. Various investigations were underway, he added.
Sandra Camilleri, who recently resigned from the PN to back Mr Dimech, voted against the motion, claiming she was the only one to vote according to her conscience. “I’m a woman of principle,” she said, dressed from top to bottom in various shades of blue.
Shortly before the meeting took place, the three Labour councillors addressed the media and said they would abstain from the vote, which they described as “politically contaminated”.
PL councillor Martin Debono said the party did not agree with the uncivil way in which Ms Camilleri was treated, a reference to her claims that PN general secretary Paul Borg Olivier coerced her to sign the motion of no confidence.
Mr Debono said his party did not support Dr Gonzi who, he added, on various occasions showed lack of respect towards Labour councillors.
He said the decision by the police to arraign Mr Dimech on Tuesday, “hours” before the vote was to take place, could have influenced the vote and he criticised the “strange coincidences” through which confidential information was leaked from certain quarters. Mr Dimech is charged with soliciting a bribe and reviling a police officer by claiming in two press interviews that he signed a police confession under duress.
Mr Dimech arrived 15 minutes late for the meeting and, just before he walked in, a seemingly impatient Dr Gonzi pointed out that a quorum had been reached and the meeting could start. However, the other councillors decided they should wait for Mr Dimech, who was said to have been looking for a parking slot.
After the motion was read out, Mr Dimech spoke for five minutes, again alleging that he was being framed and said the people believing the allegations made against him by contractor Stephen Buhagiar were the same people who voted to sack the contractor several months ago.
Mr Dimech said he had stopped going to the council after the executive secretary was replaced and the new one began “turning everything upside down”.
He said he had CCTV footage showing various councillors going to the council at odd hours of the night.
Mr Dimech reiterated his accusations that only minutes after being questioned by the police he received a call from Dr Borg Olivier, adding that his mobile phone records could prove this. The records, he went on, would also prove that Dr Borg Olivier had called him before a contract on waste collection was about to be decided upon.
He said the only reason he signed an admission of guilt was because, after his experience at the police headquarters, he just wanted to go home.
As predicted, the six remaining PN members on the council all voted for the motion and it passed. These included Patrick Pace, Edward Cuschieri, Julian Galea and Yves Calì, together with Dr Gonzi and Mr Engerer.
After the vote, the Labour councillors thanked Mr Dimech for his work within the council.
Speaking to the press, Mr Dimech said he did not know what his next step would be and whether he would stay on as an independent councillor.
A solemn Dr Gonzi, who had polled the second highest number of votes in the last local elections, promised to do her utmost for the Sliema residents and said the council should now move on from what has happened over the past months, adding that there was no truth in accusations that this was a power struggle.
Asked who will take her place as deputy mayor, Dr Gonzi said she was not aware of the procedures that had to be followed in such a case.
A number of police officers were stationed outside the council offices during the meeting.