Updated at 7pm: adds Mr Vella's reaction

Joseph VellaJoseph Vella

Video footage showing St Paul’s Bay local councillor Joseph Vella in a compromising situation at his former place of work has been confirmed as “original” by his former employers, The Sunday Times of Malta has confirmed.

After receiving the anonymous footage showing Mr Vella opening cash tills and taking money at his workplace, this newspaper made contact with the local councillor’s employer at the time to verify the originality of the footage.

A spokesman for Valyou supermarket in Mellieħa, formerly known as Shoppers, confirmed the footage was taken by a CCTV system at their premises.

“The footage you are referring to is original and we can confirm that following that episode Mr Vella is no longer employed by us,” the spokesman said.

Asked whether the St Paul’s Bay local councillor was sacked, the spokesman said: “We did not sack him but forced him to resign. This is how we normally deal with employees caught stealing,” he said.

This newspaper is informed that Mr Vella, elected as member of the St Paul’s Bay local council on the Nationalist Party ticket in 2015, was employed as an assistant manager at Mellieħa’s Shoppers supermarket and was asked to resign from his job and to pay back some €8,000 to the supermarket’s owners if he wanted to avoid a formal report to the police.

We forced him to resign

Asked why they had not filed a formal police report, the spokesman said:  “We were interested in getting rid of the employee and that he repays what he took. This has been done and for us it’s a closed case.”

Contacted over the story and asked whether in view of what happened he should  resign his post as an elected local councillor, Mr Vella denied that he was caught stealing and was sacked.

Refusing to speak on the phone and asking us to send questions through SMS messages, Mr Vella said: “Kindly note that I was not involved in any case of theft. You can check with the police or court,” he insisted.

“I reserve the right to take the necessary steps according to the law in case you publish such a story,” he threatened.

Although this newspaper informed Mr Vella that it has checked all it facts, including with his former employers, Mr Vella insisted that any queries were to be sent through SMS. “I don’t have nothing (sic) to add,” he wrote.

The local council is currently passing through a political storm as three former PN local councillors resigned from the party putting the PN majority in jeopardy.

While deputy major David Thake resigned following differences with the new party leadership, councillors Robert Piscopo and Joseph Vella resigned from the PN but will be keeping their seats as independent councillors following clashes with current PN mayor Graziella Galea.

The latter two accuse the mayor of not consulting with them in the running of the council.

Mr Vella's reaction

In a reaction this evening, Mr Vella said it was evident that having no substantial grounds upon which to base valid arguments, some people had no qualms about stooping so low as to conjure up personal attacks.

"I have been subtly threatened prior to my resignation that I might be facing these type of allegations and accusations, but I still did what I felt was best for my locality."

Mr Vella said one could not cling to power by threatening others into silence.

"As to the merits of the case, I stand by my comments. No police report or court proceedings were filed.

"Mudslinging will not serve to tarnish my reputation but will only serve to show how despicable these people are."

He said that the mayor's brother, Giovanni Galea, and the mayors husband, Clayton Tanti Gregoraci, both commented on this case just few hours after he voted against the mayor and two days prior to his resignation.

"This shows how desperate certain people are for power...," he said.

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