Gozitan whistleblower who wanted to curb mayor's abuses

After Sunday newspaper ILLUM revealed the controversial ousting of Sannat local council executive secretary Arthur Bajada, it has now transpired that Bajada filed a judicial protest against the local council.

Whistleblower Bajada was controversially expelled from his post after he had reported alleged corruption by Sannat Labour mayor Philip Vella. A crucial conversation with a contractor was recorded and Bajada handed over the information to the police. The contractor in question alleged that Vella assured him that the contractor who would be awarded a tender would eventually make use of his services.

Mayor Vella, upon discovering about the existence of the recordings and their contents, filed a contentious motion. However, in a fresh twist to the saga in the little Gozitan village, Bajada has filed a judicial protest, uncovering the numerous abuses by the Sannat Labour mayor.

In his protest, Bajada reaffirmed his objections to the controversial irregularities and insisted that he sought to stop the allegations upon being brought to light.

"Upon the irregular behaviour which was being brought to my attention, I promptly tried to stop them and sought to confront the local council with the allegations."

"When these were brought to light, the motion was filed and I was ousted. Philip Vella saw me as a threat to his work and consequently, he saw me as an obstacle and sought to oust me from my post."

Bajada insisted that the Sannat mayor had brought forward unsubstantiated and ridiculous grounds for his ousting.

"After the irregularities were uncovered, Philip Vella wanted to oust me once and for all. I am the whistleblower who tried to curb the mayor's abuses. He had other reasons to oust me, reaffirmed by Labour councillor Maria Cassar Sultana who blasted him for his lack of swift action."

Bajada also claimed that he was a victim of the mayor who sought to oust him in an effort to cover up his real reasons.

Meanwhile, whistleblower Arthur Bajada said that he personally informed the police commissioner of certain irregularities but the latter, failed to act upon the reports.

Read the full story in today's edition of ILLUM