Zebbug contractor cleared of assaulting mayor

The court noted that the plaintiff had not presented evidence of his injuries and that police officers called to the scene had also said that they had not seen any injuries

A court has cleared a contractor accused of attacking the mayor of Paola, after it ruled that the charges had not been sufficiently proven.

56-year-old Carmel Dimech, of Zebbug had been charged with attacking and threatening Domenic Grima, the former mayor of Paola, as well as disobeying legitimate orders, breaching the peace and recidivism in October 2009,

Grima had told the court how that day, he had been told that that infrastructural works being carried out at Paola's town square were not being performed by employees of the Water Services Corporation in the manner agreed. Grima decided to ask Dimech to order that the works be halted, but when he had informed him of this, he said Dimech flew into a rage and assaulted him.

Dimech denied assaulting the mayor and added that day before the incident, he had discussed the works with the secretary of the local council. Bystanders in the square at the time of the alleged incident also told the court that they had not seen Dimech attack the mayor. 

Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera ruled that the mayor did not have the right to ask Dimech to stop the works, pointing out that he should have raised the issue with the Water Services Corporation, not the accused.

The court acquitted Dimech of all charges, noting that the fact that the plaintiff had not presented evidence of his injuries, a fact compounded by evidence from police officers called to the scene, who had said that they had not seen any injuries, meant that there was insufficient evidence to uphold the charges.

Lawyer Arthur Azzopardi appeared for Dimech.