Dalli has to explain Bahamas trip – Prime Minister

Joseph Muscat is expecting disclosure on Bahamas allegations from John Dalli personally.

4 July 2013, 12:00am
by Matthew Vella

1 min read

John Dalli was appointed an advisor to Muscat when the Commissioner of Police said no charges were to be pressed against the former commissioner on the OLAF investigation.

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The Prime Minister is expecting that former European Commissioner John Dalli explains his position to him personally, after the International Herald Tribune ran a front-page story on Monday claiming Dalli travelled to the Bahamas upon learning of a bribery investigation concerning him, to arrange a multi-million dollar transfer.

Dalli - appointed an advisor to Joseph Muscat on health issues - has denied carrying out any money transfer, and claims his Bahamas trip was related to a voluntary initiative for a philanthropic project with Africa as its target continent.

But he has declined to reveal details of the project. Dalli has also denied that his 7-8 July 2012 trip came a day after OLAF investigators interrogated Silvio Zammit, his canvasser, who stands accused in a Maltese court of law of soliciting a €60 million bribe from Swedish Match in a bid to reverse anti-tobacco laws that Dalli was spearheading. Dalli later resigned in October 2012 when OLAF claimed he was aware of the bribe.

Dalli is claiming that the Herald story was sourced from Barry Connor, a Bahamanian resident who rented his family a villa in Nassau to serve as a base for talks with US counterparts involved in the philanthropic initiative.

Dalli said that Connor offered his trust as a vehicle for the project, but that he was later scorned by his daughter when she refused to carry out a "suspect" financial transaction for him in Malta.

Matthew Vella, a freelance journalist at MaltaToday, was formerly executive editor at Malt...

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@Dalli He acting like ROBIN HOOD. Miskin. Fidil.

Emmanuel Mallia •

Ah dear Joseph, you are taking quick decisions !

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@ tweetybird. "would seem" and "apparently" - apt words to add to the International Herald Tribune so called news article which is full of innuendo, conjecture and suppositions. Yes, it is time for the facts to emerge. But, once they do, and if the facts exonerate John Dalli, then I would expect the full weight of this small Island, including the present administration, to come to his and this country's aid in washing away this stain which in my opinion; has been generated from a conclave of big European business and local ex-political interests. We are I think, all awaiting justice to be seen to be done. One way or another.

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There are a few more things to explain I think. It would seem that Dalli's 'family' rented Connor's Bahamas beachside mansion at $8000 per month for one year, and that this would apparently entitle the tenant to residency in the Bahamas -- which is a tax haven. I guess if one had enough money, $100000 or so for a house that one rarely, if ever, stays in, is a small price to pay...