Paola councillor Clint Tanti has been suspended from the Malta Labour Party The Malta Independent on Sunday has learnt.

The decision to suspend Mr Tanti was taken by the party’s Vigilance and Discipline Committee last week, well-placed sources told this newspaper.

It came after a number of episodes involving Mr Tanti, including an incident in which deputy mayor Stefan Zahra was assaulted, were recorded.

Mr Tanti gave a terse “no comment” when asked to confirm whether he had been suspended from the MLP.

The Malta Independent on Sunday also asked Joe Falzon, deputy secretary-general responsible for local councils, to confirm the suspension.

When first contacted on Wednesday, Mr Falzon said he needed to check out. Contacted again on Friday, he said that he still needed to check it out.

Mr Tanti was elected two years ago on the Labour Party ticket, obtaining 199 first count votes.

He was the last of the five Labour councillors on the Paola Local Council to be elected.