Attorney General files against OLAF report submission

The Attorney General files judicial note against court submission of OLAF report into John Dalli investigation.

27 January 2013, 12:00am
by Karl Stagno-Navarra

1 min read

OLAF head Giovanni Kessler is expected in Malta to give evidence in prosecution's case against Silvio Zammit.

Weekly newspaper Illum reports that the Attorney General has filed a judicial note before Magistrate Anthony Vella to halt the submission of the OLAF report into John Dalli investigation in court.

The news emerges just days after Magistrate Anthony Vella ordered the Attorney General and the Police to exhibit the OLAF report pertaining to the investigations which led to the resignation last October of former European Commissioner John Dalli.

Vella delivered his ruling on Thursday 17 January after hearing submissions by defence lawyers Edward Gatt and Kris Busietta.

Gatt and Busietta had previously insisted that the Attorney General and the police should present the EU's anti-fraud unit's investigative report, in the proceedings being taken against Silvio Zammit, 48 of Sliema, who is charged with corruption and trading in influence.

Zammit is accused of having solicited a €60 million bribe from Swedish snus producers Swedish Match, in a bid to reverse tobacco legislation that was being spearheaded by former Commissioner for health John Dalli.

Dalli was accused by OLAF of having been aware of the bribe but did nothing to report the alleged wrongdoing, leading to his resignation after being asked to step down by Commission president José Barroso.

Read more in today's issue of Illum.

More from Karl Stagno-Navarra

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I wonder what is so important in this report that the Government wants to keep it under the pillow until the elections. Could it be that this OLAF report mentions too many hot potatoes in the GONZIPN clique that it would severely embarrass the Government on the eve of the election. And if this were so, should the Attorney General's Office be playing politics?

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Actually all this fobbing reaffirms people's believe that there is something quite amiss in the files of the authorities, local and in Brussels. We are far from reading the final chapter on this farce.

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I knew it and told you hold your horses when everyone thought that finally the OLAF report will see the light of day. I had written that one way or the other the AG will find ways and means to keep the report from being released. And this is exactly what happened. It will not be published before the elections.

Raymond Falzon •

The AG is acting likevthe head of hitler's. SS

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Someone needs to do a Bradley Manning on this document.

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Tal-misthija... Tajjarna lil Dalli minn kummissarju minhabba dan ir-rapportu ghadu ma giex ippublikat!! Kemm ghandhom x jahbu l-awtoritajiet!!!???