Cautious over OLAF report, Dalli believes investigation ‘was a set-up’

Former EU Commissioner John Dalli refused to comment about MaltaToday's publication of the full OLAF report, insisting that he first preferred to read the whole report before commenting any further.

However, he did add that his first reaction of what was published led him to confirm his belief that the whole OLAF investigation was "a set-up".

MaltaToday today published the unedited version of the full OLAF investigation report,which has been kept under wraps by the Maltese police and the Attorney General.

[MORE] Unedited version of OLAF report -  Read on Scribd

Ever since he was unceremoniously told to resign by European Commissioner President Jose Manuel Barroso, John Dalli had always called for the publication of the report.

"Since the beginning, I insisted that the report should be published and therefore I welcome the publication of the report," Dalli told MaltaToday.

"I still have to read and analyse the report and would prefer not to comment at this stage especially since it seems that the investigation by the police is still ongoing."

Dalli, who has served during both the Fenech Adami and Gonzi administrations as minister for finance, health and foreign affairs, said the report "confirmed" what he had always said - that the OLAF investigation was a "set-up".

"Reading through the analysis of the report I confirmed what I have been saying all along that this whole OLAF investigation was a setup," the former European Commissioner said.

From the OLAF investigation it transpires that Gayle Kimberley, the lobbyist whom Swedish Match paid €5,000 to secure access to John Dalli, was an accomplice with Silvio Zammit in the preparation and facilitation of contacts and the alleged bribe requests that brought down the former EU commissioner.

The 37-year-old lawyer and former employee of the European Council's legal service was clearly identified by the EU's anti-fraud office, OLAF, as having been involved in the attempt to ask Swedish Match and the European Smokeless Tobacco Council (ESTOC) for €60 million and €10 million, respectively, by creating the impression that John Dalli could reverse the EU's ban on snus, the smokeless tobacco that Swedish Match produces

Read more in MaltaToday's Sunday edition