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Schulz to write to Barroso, requesting ‘further clarifications’ on Dalli case
President Martin Schulz says European Parliament needs to see OLAF report as it seeks ‘further clarification beyond media statements’.
22 October 2012, 12:00am
Miriam Dalli
Miriam Dalli
2 min read
European Parliament President Martin Schulz and European Commission President José Manuel Barroso.
European Parliament President Martin Schulz this week will write to European Commission President José Manuel Barroso requesting further details and information leading to John Dalli's resignation.
In comments to MaltaToday, Schulz said the European Parliament needed clarifications especially now that Malta has nominated former PN deputy leader Tonio Borg to the post of Commissioner.
"We would like to have further clarifications beyond the media statements," Schulz told this newspaper.
He said that the European Parliament was taking Dalli's resignation very seriously. When asked to elaborate further, Schulz said: "The parliament must organise the hearing of the new commissioner-designate."
Schulz refused to comment when asked whether he agreed with the way Dalli was made to resign by Barroso.
"The matter is between President Barroso and Mr Dalli," Schulz said.
In a letter sent to the Members of the European Parliament today, Dalli reiterated that he "categorically denied being aware of any negotiations or communications" that could have taken place between Maltese restaurateur Silvio Zammit and snus producer Swedish Match.
Dalli, who has always claimed he was asked to resign, said he was objecting to the way his resignation took place. For the first time today, a spokesman for the European Commission confirmed with journalists in Brussels that Dalli was asked to resign.
However, Dalli told MEPs that he had been "deprived of my right to defend myself" and he was not "even given 24 hours" to consult with his lawyers or inform family members.
"I was only given 30 minutes," Dalli said, adding that he still had no access to the OLAF report and knew nothing of what circumstantial evidence was quoted against him.
Dalli also complained that his "right of presumption of innocence" was breached by a press conference given by OLAF director Giovanni Kessler. "He repeatedly and assertively stated his conjectures, again without stating their basis," he added.
He went on to say that OLAF has not yet informed him on what evidence "they have based conjectures", adding that thus he was being denied the opportunity to defend himself.
"I categorically refute these conclusions, and am presently seeking advice on what legal action I can take to protect my reputation," Dalli said.
Miriam Dalli joined MaltaToday.com.mt in 2010 becoming assistant editor f...
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buskett2011 prosit.
Nixtieq inzid li issa Gonzi ghandu jmur ghall-elezzjoni halli jkun jaf kemm hawm Maltin puri. Fejnhom dawk tal-coalition fejnhom Franco Debono Fejnhom Mugliette u in nazzjonalisti li jridu li jixirqilhom ta nazzjonalisti... x inhuma jistennew biex jaqsmu l-kamra halli Malta tibda miexja l quddiem.
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It is so shameful that the Prime Minister has failed to speak for Mr Dalli! Is this the solidarity that he talks about ? He unceremoniously dumped him like Barroso did ! As every day passes by it is being more obvious that Dalli was thrown out by Barroso and Co without any concrete evidence. One questions whether Mr Barroso and Kessler are all behind this, and where actually the millions are going to end ! Because at the end of the day, the way Mr Barroso acted is totally in favour of the billion dollar market the Tobacco Industry is going to earn in the next few months. It is so obvious. Mr Dalli should keep on fighting in court to see the downfall of Barroso and Co. Most of us are behing you Mr Dalli - the PM is not !
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I expected our Prime Minister to complain to Barroso how a Maltese Commissioner (who represents our country)was dealt with such severity and the reputation of Malta has been tarnished. I suspect that GonziPN and the oligarchic pack behind the present Government are responsible of the demise of Mr. Dalli.
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OLAF has concluded its investiagtions and Kessler is no newbie, he was part of the Direzione Investigativa Antimafia in Caltanisetta... trust the little Maltesers to come up with such banalities (such as equating the EU with the USSR etc)
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I expected our Prime Minister to complain to Barroso how a Maltese Commissioner (who represents our country)was dealt with such severity and the reputation of Malta has been tarnished. I suspect that GonziPN and the oligarchic pack behind the present Government are responsible of the demise of Mr. Dalli.
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I expected our Prime Minister to complain to Barroso how a Maltese Commissioner (who represents our country)was dealt with such severity and the reputation of Malta has been tarnished. I suspect that GonziPN and the oligarchic pack behind the present Government are responsible of the demise of Mr. Dalli.
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No wonder Nikita Kruschev had told the EU bureaucrats: " Why are you creating in Europe what we have demolished in the Soviet Union " ?
The way Barroso treated the maltese commissioner John Dalli, confirms the dictatorial way which was used in the U.S.S.R. !
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One has to congratulate European Parliament President Martin Schulz in the manner he is about to tackle the issue and thus for his professionalism. This is the way how to proceed. Rushness can only bring greater undesired outcomes. What is difficult for the members in European institutions to understand is that Mr Zammit could have been rewarded by other third parties for what could be his unilateral actions, and not what Kessler and Barroso are claiming that he was acting for Dalli. Obviously I am no spokesman for Dalli, but am simply expressing my personal opinion in this issue which has tainted Malta tremendously.
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Huwa kaz ta' David kontra Gulija?
Jalla David jirbah.
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While the EU Commission emerges as the looser of this ‘situation’, the prima facie winner seems instead Swedish Match, one of the leader producer of smokefree tobacco products. One may legitimately wonder what has been the exact role played by the company in the birth of the professional relationship between the Maltese entrepreneur and the company. Was Swedish Match a victim or the creator of such a relationship?
Should it turned out that it has been the latter, the trap that Swedish Match seem to have successfully tended to Mr Dalli could turned out to be counterproductive: the benefit it could gain in messing delaying the preparation of the revised directive might be offset by the negative image it gained in originating this scandal. Should instead turned out that Swedish Match was the innocent victim of a fraud (read its yesterday's press release), nobody will feel very sorry for a company selling tobacco products and willing to hire somebody who was ready to leverage on his personal relationship to steer the outcome of the policy process.
QUOTE ALBERTO ALEMANNO
http://albertoalemanno.eu/articles/the-snus-trap-on-commissioner-dallis-resignation
In any event, this episode, although unfortunate for everyone, has the merit to bring to public attention the limits of today’s tobacco control efforts : the lack of an open, evidence-based and non-ideological debate upon the future of tobacco (including snus). My claim is that should such a debate exist neither Swedish Match nor Commissioner Dalli would have fallen victim of the snus’ trap.
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tal anqas ma ghamilniex bhal brutus ahna...dalli sa fenj naf jien qatt ma cahad it twemmin nazzjonalista tieghu imma fuq kollox huwa malti. hawn l isem malta hemm fin nofs. prosit lill shulz talli jiextieq jisma il qniepen kollha qabel il grupp socjalista jiehu stand fuq l ghazla ta kummissarju gdid.
