‘I was not made aware that this motion was filed,’ says Labour councillor

Two weeks after Sunday newspaper Illum revealed the expulsion of Sannat local council Executive-Secretary-turned-whistleblower Arthur Bajada, Maria Cassar Sultana, the sole Labour local councillor who voted against the motion, has spoken to the media for the first time.

Speaking to Illum, the Sannat local councillor Maria Cassar Sultana said that she was not notified of this motion.

"I was not made aware that this motion was filed. Nobody requested my advice or input and the local council did not meet prior to discussing the motion," Cassar Sultana argued.

Executive Secretary Arthur Bajada was expelled following a motion filed by Sannat Mayor Philip Vella after the former revealed alleged corruption within the Sannat local council.

Bajada had uncovered reports of alleged corruption by the mayor. He had argued that a contractor was asked to refrain from presenting his offer for a tender by mayor Vella and that subsequently, the contractor felt ‘betrayed and furious'.

However, Bajada, who reported the alleged corruption to the police, was unceremoniously and controversially ousted from his post in a contentious motion filed by the mayor.

Meanwhile, Labour councillor Cassar Sultana argued that she could not condemn the behaviour of Arthur Bajada, and that consequently she voted against the motion "on her conscience."

"I am neither an auditor nor a member of the disciplinary board, so consequently I cannot condemn Arthur Bajada," Sultana stressed during an urgent local meeting last July.

Meanwhile, on his part Mayor Philip Vella rebutted all the allegations directed towards him. "The motion to expel Arthur Bajada from his post was approved by the majority of the Sannat local council," Vella argued.

"The motion was tabled due to numerous, serious and repetitive shortcomings by the former Executive Secretary in his duties over a long period of time. His inadequacies hindered the Council from doing its work efficiently."

Vella stressed that due to these shortcomings and lack of confidence and respect the Sannat local council had in Philip Vella, the motion was tabled.

"It was Bajada's own acts which rendered his position untenable due to his shortcomings which were hindering the local council's works. Moreover, the motion to expel him was subsequently approved by the local council."

Read more in today's edition of Illum.