When Sliema councillors met for an urgent council meeting called by mayor Nikki Dimech for 4 p.m. today, they found the council offices closed as the director of local government had informed the council secretary the meeting could not be held according to law.
The mayor said he called the meeting for 4 p.m. because he believed he could call an early meeting since it was an urgent one.
But director Martin Bugelli insisted that according to the amended Local Councils Act all council meetings, including urgent ones, had to start not earlier than 5.30 p.m. and not later than 7.30 p.m.