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Police ask councillor Sandra Camilleri for details on Sliema mayor's private life
PN councillor Sandra Camilleri was interrogated by police on matters that had little to do with the Nikki Dimech 'admission' of kickbacks in the Sliema council.
63-year-old Sandra Camilleri was summoned before Superintendent Paul Vassallo – head of the Economic Crimes Unit – soon after Paul Borg Olivier was overheard in a pub coercing the councillor to sign a no-confidence motion to oust Nikki Dimech as mayor, or “face the police.”
Sources confirmed with MaltaToday that Camilleri had described Supt. Vassallo's as "courteous" but had asked questions about Nikki Dimech’s private life, apparently having nothing to do with an investigation into alleged kickbacks.
Last week, Dimech admitted to police he had demanded a €5,000 commission on a €25,000 council tender from Stephen Buhagiar, a canvasser for Nationalist MP Robert Arrigo.
He later claimed with friends and relatives that he had signed his admission under duress, because he had been left without an asthma inhaler, and was suffering an asthma attack. The police denied the allegations 24 hours later.
MaltaToday is informed that Sandra Camilleri told Supt. Vassallo of the pressure put on her by Paul Borg Olivier to sign the no confidence motion, and his threat to report her to the police if she didn’t.
Vassallo stressed that “the issue was strictly political” and that her complaint about being forced to sign a document under threat was “not a police matter.”
MaltaToday is informed that even though Supt. Vassallo admitted that Borg Olivier’s behavior towards Camilleri was “not right”, he was reported to have also said that it was a purely political affair that needed to be seen to “internally”.
Camilleri was said to have expressed anger at the way the party is administering its business, and that she would not rather resign unless forced by the PN.
Jeffrey Vella •
PBO's shenanigans have left a real sour taste for all of those individuals involved.
It is a shame that the Nationalists Party is using the Sliema Local Council for its own personal agenda.
It has been long known that the inner PN circles were never happy to see Nikki Dimech elected as Sliema mayor and pounced on this opportunity
to kick him out.
And with all these shenanigans taking place,it is the Sliema residents who are suffering the most.
Alfred Galea •
[The councillors are reminded that are elected on the party list,so they have to obey party regulations]
They are there to represent their constituents not the party......with voters like you no wonder it's such a mickey mouse island over here.
Mario Pisani •
U tghid le? Big Gonz is running out of Yes Sir people so he has to turn to relatives now....
Albert Zammit •
And who is this Joanna Gonzi, anyway? Is she a relative of the great PM?
Albert Zammit •
What is this of towing the party line? What does any party have to do with the way a local council works? This is unheard of. The Nationalist party is moving from weakness to weakness. We are reaching a stage of soon becoming a police state. It reminds me of the worst times of Mintoffian rule! Dan li qed igib mieghu Laurence Gonzi? Ajma hej!
Phillip Martin Micallef •
i m a nationalist..................can I go and threaten lil PBO????.....................supt vassallo pls note.............eemmmmmmmm at this stageI want also to kick him in the a*%e...........can I????????/
Maureen Attard •
Why don't you resign from General Secretary of our party. You're a loser doing stuff like this. The dictatorship is long gone from our country. We believe Nikki. Par idejn sodi where are you to ask the party secretary to submit his resignation from the party, also. We are going to lose the next general election by more then 55 per cent if he stays.
victor refalo •
Admissions and retractions, investigations into kickbacks and private lives, allegations of police abuse and denials, alleged coercion, declarations, resigations and expulsions........what a sorry state the PN is in today.
Will someone have the balls to call for the resignation of PBO from General Secretary of the party?
A shameful state for the party in government and more importantly for this country.
Joe Tanti •
This PBO/Sandra Camilleri incident is reminiscent of a Mafia movie with a hitman sent by the godfather to convince or eliminate .A classic case of the mafia slogan of "making you an offer you cant refuse". Gonzi silence can only be interpreted as he stands by the PN hitman PBO action re Sandra Camilleri. And these threats have been levelled against a PN elected counsillor,Wow are we living in 2010 in EU member state or in 1930 Fascist Italy.What next ? the knock on the door at 2.00am and being dragged to police interogation.Will the MEPA start processing a request by PBO to erect a concentration camp on Comino? This mini-hitler has got to step down, and dont anybody mention the 70s, this more smells of Franco or South American US backed regimes re Chile Pinochet. Wake up Gonzi the ball is in your court,you cannot keep on emulating Nero and fiddling away whilst Malta is going to the dogs .Honesty ,work and liberty ,where are they ,you can onllyfind them in the dictionary cause under Gonzi "par idej sodi" they are as extinct as the dodo.
doris cassar •
people in office are there to serve their country.
In a recent article by MP Owen Bonnici he recounts Prof DeMarco's advice to him before he entered politics-ie be financially independent such that you do not depend on politics be it party politics or constituant pressure. The party sets the policies and regulations, but if they err are the politicians to follow blindly as suggested by Simon Vella?
Christopher Galea Scannura •
Good point :) but I doubt they will have the guts to answer you!!! However, my personal opinion is that if YOU do it they will lock you up and throw away the key...lol...u tghid they won't spare you because of a political issue...lol
Karl Grech •
So according to supt.Vassallo, if I kill someone strictly on a political issue, then the police cannot investigate me but it would be an internal party affair...... TAJBA DIN..... u leeeee!!!!, x'ma mmorrux lura.... FEJN HI S-SERJETA?????
Mario Pisani •
They contest on party list but they are elected by the people...the same people who gave their first preference to Nikki Dimech and not Joanna Gonzi who Stamperija seem so keen to place at the helm. The same people who gave PBO 367 miserable number 1s in 2008 and will now consider him a persona non grata in Sliema next time round because that's the price you pay for picking on those who represent us!
Christopher Galea Scannura •
@ simon vella
The councillors are there to represent the party, because they believe in the party's politics, in democracy etc... but NOT to be treated as puppets and to "obey" whatsoever dirty scam they are asked to do...perhaps Sandra has more moral values than to be part of a backstabbing issue...perhaps unlike some others, she is an honest person!!!
Christopher Galea Scannura •
So Sandra confirms that she was threatened and confirms what has been reported by onlookers all week...and the Police say it is not a police matter but a political one which has to be solved internally!!?? Then why did the police summon her? Is this a farse or what?? Just because he is Sec General of the party in government makes him immune to the law?? He should be processed like any other citizen police!!! I would like to know what would have been the outcome if Sandra had not spoken up...they would have sued for libel? they would have blamed Dimech???
Veronica Deguara •
The councillors are reminded that are elected on the party list,so they have to obey party regulations.
Mario Pisani •
Solidarity with Sandra who is going through this whole ordeal thanks to the arrogance of PN's Sec Gen who, supposedly, is there to assist and guide fellow activists and, instead, he is turning against his own people...
Shameful!
