REVEALED | When Cachia Caruana asked John Dalli to rubbish JPO

When former Nationalist backbencher Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando demanded that the former permanent representative to the EU Richard Cachia Caruana be expelled, Cachia Caruana had turned to then EU Commissioner John Dalli in a bid to rubbish Pullicino Orlando's claim.

It all dates back to last summer when in an email Pullicino Orlando sent to PN executive committee president Marthese Portelli, he accused Cachia Caruana of having colluded with high-ranking members of the Labour administration led by Alfred Sant between 1996 and 1998.

According to Pullicino Orlando, this had been done "in an attempt at furthering his personal interests whilst putting his colleagues in the Nationalist administration led by Dr Eddie Fenech Adami between 1987 and 1996 in a bad light."

Pullicino Orlando had also presented a list of witnesses who would have corroborated his claims - one of which included John Dalli.

However, Cachia Caruana turned to John Dalli in an attempt to rubbish Pullicino Orlando's claims. In a curt email he sent to Dalli, Cachia Caruana typed out a declaration which he wanted Dalli to publish - something which Dalli refused to do.

Cachia Caruana  proposed that Dalli should "make it clear" that he "was not aware that Mr Pullicino Orlando has not discussed these accusations against Cachia Caruana with me at any stage".

According to the former perm rep, Dalli should have also declared that Pullicino Orlando had never informed him "that he was putting my name down as a witness in relation to any discussion by the PN Executive on these accusations".

Cachia Caruana's proposed statement goes on:

"I have no idea what Mr Pullicino Orlando is referring to in any of these accusations nor what he expects me to prove or dispute. I have known Mr Cachia Caruana for 31 years and have worked with him on a number of projects over the years. I have never had the slightest indication that he has colluded with the Labour Party or foreign states on anything or that he has in any was [sic] fomented any unrest which has led to difficulties being faced by Prime Minister Gonzi."

But John Dalli refused Cachia Caruana's proposal, insisting that he could not issue such a "blanket" statement.

"I have been attacked for many years, and am still being attacked now by elements in the party, acting alone or in collusion with the Labour Party," Dalli replied to the email correspondence dated 11 July 2012.

Dalli added that he had had his share of false reports, personal attacks and humiliation.

"When I am in Malta this weekend, I will seek to know the details of the accusations that have been made and whether they square with my experiences. Then I will decide on my course of action," the former EU commissioner had concluded.

Some days after this email correspondence,  Dalli accused the PN's executive committee of having destroyed the party and alienating supporters, in a 25-minute teleconference he gave as part of his testimony on the expulsion charge made against Richard Cachia Caruana.

During the teleconference, not only did he make an 'impassioned' speech which was described as a "hard-hitting and direct" appraisal of the state of the party, but he also revealed that he had been specifically asked by Cachia Caruana to issue a statement in his favour.