John Dalli omitted from government list of witnesses in Cachia Caruana hearing

Updated at 10:33am with inclusion of Carmel Vassallo, former AFM Brigadier.

The foreign minister who took over Palazzo Parisio when discussions started over Malta's re-entry in Nato's Partnership for Peace, was not called in by the government to testify in the parliamentary foreign and European affairs committee on the Opposition's motion for the resignation of Richard Cachia Caruana.

John Dalli, today European Commissioner for health and consumer policy, was missing from a list of 21 witnesses supplied by the Nationalist government on Wednesday.

Instead, it was successor Michael Frendo - who was parliamentary secretary for European affairs within Dalli's ministry - who was called by the government side to testify in the foreign affairs committee. Frendo later became foreign minister in July 2004 upon Dalli's resignation.

It was Labour MP Leo Brincat who raised Dalli's name as a witness.

Also missing from the list of witnesses is the former Brigadier of the Armed Forces of Malta, Carmel Vassallo, who in 2010 was awarded the United States' Legion of Merit for his role in advancing Malta into the PfP stream.

Vassallo was decorated with the highly regarded honour, which was also given to Charles de Gaulle, in part for his initiative in to integrate the AFM within Nato's PfP which "rendered fruitful and lasting results".

Government's list of witnesses, which includes Nato secretary-general Javier Solana and Luxembourg prime minister Jean-Claude Juncker, is a line-up of high-powered individuals from the European Council, Nato, the United States mission to the European Union and other civil servants from the foreign ministry and permanent representation to the EU.

The Opposition wants the prime minister to demand permanent representative to the EU Richard Cachia Caruana's resignation, for his role in overturning what was Malta's unconditional withdrawal from PfP in 1996, into a 'suspension of participation', which allowed Malta to rejoin the PfP stream without seeking the House's approval.

The motion will follow a hearing by the foreign affairs committee of Cachia Caruana himself, as well as other witnesses presented by the government.

The omission of John Dalli's name from government's list of witnesses raises questions about why the first minister to preside over any PfP business in 2004 was not called upon by government to answer questions by the foreign affairs committee. In itself, it is a reminder of the strained relations between Dalli and the Gonzi leadership since the former's resignation in 2004 over kickback allegations that later turned out to be false.

In order of appearance in Flickr slideshow:

Lawrence Gonzi, prime minister, and Tonio Borg, foreign minister.

Michael Frendo, foreign minister 2004-2008, today Speaker of the House.

Anthony Abela MP, parliamentary secretary in Office of the Prime Minister, 2004-2008

Godwin Grima, Cabinet secretary

Richard Cachia Caruana, Permanent Representative to the EU

Brigadier Martin Xuereb, head of Armed Forces of Malta

Vanessa Frazier, director of defence 2006-2012

Jean Claude Juncker, Prime Minister of Luxembourg

Javier Solana, Nato secretary-general 1999-2009

Pierre de Boisseau, deputy secretary-general to the European Council 1999-2009

Jean Claude Piris, director-general legal services European Council secretariat 1988-2010

Anthony Gioia, United States ambassador to Malta 2001-2004

Molly Bordonaro, United States ambassador to Malta 2005-2009

Robert Simmons, deputy assistant secretary-general Nato, 2003-2010

Proposed by the Opposition

John Dalli, European Commissioner, foreign minister 2004-2005.

Other witnesses not featured in slideshow:

Tarcisio Zammit, Ambassador to Belgium and representative to EU's political and security committee 2004-2008

Joseph Caruana, director of defence 2003-2006

Deborah Mangion, legal office Permanent Representation to the EU 2003-2006

Ricardo Gosalbo Bono, director external relations, European Council secretariat

Mark Brunner, defence consultant to United States mission to the European Union 2004-2008

Jeremy Brenner, defence consultant to United States mission to the European Union 2004-2008