Whistleblower ousted from council secretary post

Arthur Bajada's expulsion from the Executive Secretary post of the Sannat Local Coucil has created a stir in the small Gozitan village, Sunday newspaper ILLUM reports.

"He revealed the truth and was ousted," individuals close to the council told Sunday newspaper ILLUM.

Sources said that a furious contractor contacted the former executive secretary and told him that he was disappointed by the way he was fooled by the Sannat Labour mayor.

The contractor alleged that mayor Philip Vella told him to refrain from presenting his offer for a tender involving the construction of rubble walls.

He said that Vella assured him that the contractor who would be awarded the tender would eventually make use of his services.

The former executive secretary recorded this conversation and handed over the information to the police. Somehow, the Labour mayor learnt about the existence of the recordings and their contents.

A few days later, on 15 July 2013, a council meeting was held and a motion proposing Bajada's removal was approved. The motion was filed by Labour mayor Philip Vella and deputy mayor Frances Galea.

The mayor said that the main reason for Bajada's removal was that it became impossible to work with the former executive secretary.

The whistleblower's removal underlines the importance of the Whistleblower Act which was approved in Parliament earlier this year and came into force in September.

The act provides protection for whistleblowers who expose corrupt practices. The law gives the Attorney-General authority to decide whether an informer is granted immunity, after consultation with the Commissioner of Police and the Chief Justice.

Read the full story in today's edition of ILLUM