Kessler to testify in Zammit case, also summoned for privileges hearing

The Opposition wants the head of the EU's anti-fraud agency, Giovanni Kessler, to testify before a parliamentary committee hearing a breach of privilege complaint against PN leader Simon Busuttil, because Kessler will be in Malta to testify in the compilation of charges against Silvio Zammit.

Zammit is accused of trading in influence for allegedly demanding a €60 million bribe from Swedish tobacco firm Swedish Match and the European smokeless tobacco lobby.

The initial investigation into allegations that he was securing a reversal of a trade ban on snus tobacco using his contacts with then commissioner John Dalli, was spearheaded by OLAF chief Giovanni Kessler.

Speaker Anglu Farrugia ruled in October that Busuttil had committed a breach of privilege when he accused Prime Minister Joseph Muscat of political interference in a police investigation related to the bribery allegations that forced John Dalli's resignation as European Commissioner in 2012.

Busuttil alleged that Muscat had interfered in the investigation when Commissioner of Police Peter Paul Zammit had declared that there was no case against John Dalli, even though investigations into the case were still ongoing. His predecessor, John Rizzo, whoever told the court in the compilation of evidence against Zammit, that he wanted to press charged against Dalli but that the former commissioner had been in Brussels away on health reasons and that the 2013 elections were not opportune for the arraignment.

This led Busuttil to accuse Muscat of interference, during a sitting in parliament.

In a letter to the Speaker, Nationalist MP Chris Said, standing in for Busuttil who was not allowed to sit on the committee since he was directly involved in the case, said the first witness would be Giovanni Kessler.