Sunday newspaper publish story to put more pressure on former PN mayor

Typically the Sunday Times failed to address the duress under which PN Secretary-General Paul Borg-Olivier and his deputy Jean-Pierre Debono had subjected dissenting PN councilor Sandra Camilleri during a private meeting at the Lady Di pub in Sliema, as reported by MaltaToday on Friday.

PN general secretary Paul Borg Olivier was quoted as saying by the Sunday Times that the Sliema mayor might have to answer to criminal charges and the PN had decided his political position within the party was “untenable”.

“This grave statement political incorrectness of has severely prejudiced the council and it is a natural course for the Sliema councillors to collectively table a motion of no confidence in the interest of the locality,” the PN secretary-general was quoted as saying.

He revealed that PN councillors had discussed and agreed to sign a motion of no confidence, except one councillor who was currently abroad.

Borg Olivier had insisted that the party expected “all councillors to carry out their duties according to the highest ethical standards at all times”.

Anonymous sources quoted by the Sunday Times explained the meeting took place at the PN headquarters in Pietà on Thursday, shortly after it had been revealed that Dimech admitted soliciting a commission from a contractor.

The same anonymous sources were quoted as saying how initially, Dimech had agreed he would go to the PN headquarters to resign at 11 a.m. “but he never showed up and refused to answer some 17 phone calls by Borg Olivier, as well as several text messages and e-mails.

“Eventually, Borg Olivier decided to send him a letter by hand saying he had been kicked out of the party, and the rest of the councilors met to discuss the next step,” the anonymous  sources added.

Camilleri had not attended the meeting and she reportedly “only agreed to sign the motion after a private meeting with Borg Olivier,” the Sunday Times reported.

The same anonymous sources were quoted as saying by the Sunday Times described Camilleri as a “party rebel” and more willing to back Dimech.

Another councillor present at the meeting made it clear he too had reservations about signing the motion without hearing Dimech’s side of the story “but eventually decided to toe the party line”, the Sunday Times reported.

The same anonymous sources were quoted as saying by The Sunday Times that Dimech’s confession was just “the tip of the iceberg” and his policy of giving favours to those who helped him in his campaign would soon reveal more wrong doings in police investigations.

The Sunday Times report which was clearly spinned from Borg Olivier's office does not say that one PN councilor Paul Pace has not signed the motion because he is abroad.