'PN government interfered in my case' - John Dalli

Former EU commissioner John Dalli today reiterated that there was clear political interference in his case, "not from the current administration not to have him arraigned, but by the previous government to have me arraigned, although there was no case against me."

Last week, PN leader Simon Busuttil called for the resignation of Commissioner of Police Peter Paul Zammit, after his predecessor, John Rizzo told a court that both the police and the Attorney General had agreed some time between late 2012 and early 2013 that former European commissioner John Dalli should be charged on allegations of bribery.

Former police commissioner John Rizzo told a court during the compilation of evidence against Silvio Zammit, who stands accused of bribery, that both his investigative team and the Attorney General Peter Grech had agreed to issue charges against Dalli.

It is however unclear why Rizzo failed to arraign Dalli.

In a statement issued today, Dalli said that Busuttil was basing these accusations "on a lie." Dalli said that Busuttil was basing his attack on a report published by The Times of Malta on 12 April, even though he [Dalli] had arrived to Malta before.

Dalli said that he had returned to Malta before the appointment of the new police commissioner and asked whether there was any "coincidence" or whether there was a plan behind the fact that the Times of Malta had reported the Zammit's appointment and the former EU Commissioner's return to the island on same day.

"I will not allow Busuttil to turn me into a political football. I served the country and the Nationalist Party for long years and I will not allow anyone to make use of me to cover his failures," Dalli said, adding that he hoped Busuttil would not hide behind the party to do so.

Moreover, Dalli asked whether Busuttil was acting out of "superficiality or malice?" adding that since the leader of the Opposition was standing by what Dalli dubbed as "lies," he was acting out of spite.

"I hope that Busuttil now doesn't hide behind his party. Because I will rebut him not the party. Only he knows why he has embarked on this campaign against me. What is certain is that Busuttil's arguments are supporting Barroso in my case against the Commission in the Europe Court of Justice."

He also pointed out that according to reports in the media former police Commissioner John Rizzo admitted that he was under immense pressure from Parliament and the media.

"During the electoral campaign earlier this year, huge efforts were made to have me tried by the media without respecting my right of presumption of innocence."

Dalli said these efforts begun with the press conference held by the head of the EU's anti-fraud agency, Giovanni Kessler, "one day after Commission President Barroso forced" his resignation.

The former EU commissioner added that these efforts continued in the local media, and persist up to this day in certain sections of the media, which Dalli said coincidently happen to be the same that attacked him ferociously when he was asked to resign by former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi in 2004.

"Biased reports which appeared and still do in certain sections of the press, include repeated claims that the police wanted to proceed against me.  We therefore can assume who was behind this pressure. This exposes the fact that PN leader Simon Busuttil is falsely claiming that he was unaware that the police wanted to arraign me before Rizzo testified in court."

Dalli also explained that Rizzo did not take any action on information he had provided the police and said that the former police commissioner could have arraigned him before being replaced by Zammit in April. 

"I always cooperated with the Police. I had given Rizzo information on attacks through the internet which I had suffered and also contacts which were going on between people in Malta and other individuals, including one referred to as Dr GK. What has he done with this information?" Dalli asked.

He also said it would be interesting to know whether the pressure had been made from parliament on 10 December 2012 - the same evening which saw the toppling of the Nationalist government. "They were obsessed that I was pushing Franco Debono to vote against government... something which I repeatedly categorically denied."

With his press statement, the former European Commissioner also included a recorded interview with EPP MEP Ingeborg Graessle who declared that the OLAF investigation was "false and incorrect".