Court clears former PN councillor charged with taking bribes

A court has cleared a former Sliema PN councillor charged with accepting bribes from former Sliema Mayor Nikki Dimech. The Court of Magistrates found that there was no criminal pact between the accused, Patrick Pace, and Dimech.

Pace stood charged with accepting bribes amounting to €5,000. The money was allegedly handed to influence a council vote.

The case goes back to November 2009 when Dimech, who served as mayor, issued two cheques that amounted to €5,000. The money was allegedly given to the accused to induce him to vote in favour. Pace has always denied the allegations, insisting that the money was given to him as a loan.

The accused explained how in 2009, Dimech had offered to lend him €3,000 pending the payment of a regular ‘allowance’ which had not yet been issued. Four months later, the mayor offered to sign a second cheque for €2,000 when he learnt that Pace was not in a position to refund the first payment.

In August 2010, the accused was in Russia to wed his foreign girlfriend. It was at this point that he got to know that Dimech was facing criminal prosecution and that a motion for his removal was to be tabled before the council members. Pace then recalled the words Dimech had told him; that he would be willing to lend him money if he supports his council decisions.

Upon his return to Malta, the accused had voted in favour of the motion, his vote proving crucial in view of the tie in the votes cast.

Magistrate Antonio Micallef Trigona observed that the prosecution had not put forward sufficient evidence to contradict the version of the accused. Nor had it proved its allegations regarding votes concerning illegal tenders. In the absence of evidence pointing towards bribery, the court cleared the former councillor of all charges.