Lawrence Gonzi agreed with his party’s decision to dismiss Nikki Dimech after the young Sliema mayor admitted to the police that he solicited a bribe during a tender process – an admission he has since withdrawn.

However, Mr Dimech, who has insisted that he was being framed, has still refused to resign from his post as mayor, saying that he would not do so unless he gets a “fair trial”.

In a letter published today, the PN’s information director Frank Psaila says the party’s decision to kick him out is “final” and was taken by the party’s administration with the approval of party leader Dr Gonzi.

This statement comes less than 24 hours after Mr Dimech told The Sunday Times he would resign if Dr Gonzi told him to do so, because he trusted the Prime Minister’s judgment and was expecting to meet him to discuss the issue this week.

Until now, Mr Dimech has said he had no reason to resign because he only admitted to the “false accusations” during a second police interrogation after suffering a panic attack and telling the police “what they wanted to hear”. The police have said all his rights under interrogation were respected.

Mr Dimech also alleged that his dismissal went against the party statute because he was not given the chance to give his version of the story in a formal sitting.

However, the party said he failed to attend a meeting specifically scheduled for this purpose.

Contacted yesterday, Mr Dimech said that, in the interview with The Sunday Times, he only said he would resign if Dr Gonzi told him to do so after their meeting.

“Dr Gonzi has still not heard my side of the story, so I will stick to what I said,” Mr Dimech said.

The PN has also denied that Mr Dimech had a scheduled meeting this week with Dr Gonzi and stressed that Mr Dimech was never considered or approved to contest the general election, even though he told the press he had such aspirations.

“The Nationalist Party is still expecting Mr Dimech to resign from the position of mayor and councillor on the basis of his grave statements of political incorrectness and will present a motion of no confidence should he fail to resign from the post.”

Mr Psaila says Mr Dimech’s words expose him and the press to libel suits because he alleged a “frame-up” and “organised attempts” by general secretary Paul Borg Olivier to get him out of the party.

Mr Dimech also alleged collusion between Dr Borg Olivier and the police, something the party has strongly denied.

“It was Mr Dimech himself who informed the general secretary by e-mail that he would be interrogated by the police. It was for that purpose that Dr Borg Olivier made contact with Mr Dimech late afternoon of the same day. For this purpose, any allegation of conspiracy is nothing but a libellous stroke of fiction.”