Silvio Zammit says police colluded with PN government in Dalli case

The former PN Sliema deputy mayor accused the former police commissioner and police officials and the former PN government of being in collusion to 'get to' John Dalli.

Silvio Zammit, the man accused of trying to influence tobacco legislation that was piloted by John Dalli when he was European Commissioner, claimed that the former nationalist government had initiated legal proceedings in his regard to attack Dalli.

Zammit insisted that he was used as bait by the previous Nationalist administration to get to John Dalli.

In a judicial protest presented in court last week, Zammit pointed out that the PN government had put OLAF and the Police under immense pressure to take action against him "to get at Dalli."

"Unfortunately, former Police Commissioner John Rizzo and other police officials, facilitated the government's plan against Zammit to please the previous administration."

Although the court found no evidence to proceed against Maltese lawyer Gayle Kimberley, the case against Zammit was upheld to "damage John Dalli."

The judicial letter noted that Zammit was left to his own devices in a serious criminal case while all other involved parties were cleared of any wrongdoing.

In the letter, Zammit argued that since the authorities had reopened the investigations on Dalli and Kimberly, the same should be done with his case "to finally ensure that justice is done."

Zammit added that the use of the Police and Court to damage somebody over issues which have nothing to do with justice, was not acceptable.

If the "abusive" process is not closed it would mean that the authorities "legitimise the previous administration's illegal actions and discriminate between Zammit and the other parties who had their cases reopened and subsequently dropped.

In the judicial protest presented today by Zammit's lawyer Edward Gatt, the former canvasser for John Dalli and former Sliema deputy mayor for the PN argued that since the cases against John Dalli and Maltese lobbyist Gayle Kimberley's had been dropped, his case should also be re-examined.

The judicial letter asked the authorities to re-open the investigations at the earliest and ensure that justice is done with Zammit in the Attorney General's pending case against him.

Zammit stands charged with trading in influence, corruption and money laundering and after being arrested and last year was kept in jail for two weeks and released on bail on a deposit of €25,000 and a personal guarantee of €75,000.

The judicial protest explains that Zammit was investigated by the EU's anti-fraud office, OLAF and the Maltese Police in breach of his fundamental rights over "false" accusations.