Dalligate | OLAF denies influencing witnesses

The EU's anti-fraud agency OLAF has reiterated denials issued earlier this week, adding a new denial that it has "fabricated, manipulated or concealed any evidence" in the investigation into a €60 million bribe to reverse anti-smoking legislation spearheaded by former EU Commissioner John Dalli.

OLAF, whose director Giovanni Kessler came under calls for him to resign by German MEP Inge Graessle, said that despite its ability to disclose information relating to investigations as limited by law, its final report was "complete and accurate, and does not in any way distort or manipulate the evidence."

OLAF denied claims by a member of its supervisory committee that it conducted wiretapping of the subjects of its investigations, or that it tried to influence the statement of Swedish Match public affairs director Johann Gabrielsson.

A recording of Gabrielsson in conversation with Green MEP José Bové revealed that OLAF and the Maltese police 'suggested' that he stick to a public version of events that had already been belied in investigations they carried out: Gabrielsson told Bové that Maltese lawyer Gayle Kimberley had lied about being present for a meeting in which former commissioner John Dalli allegedly left the room, before his middleman Silvio Zammit requested €60 million to reverse an EU ban on the sale of snus tobacco.

OLAF rejected suggestions that it attempted to influence the evidence given witnesses, and said all evidence had been collected lawfully. It denied conducting wiretapping or illegally recorded telephone conversations.

"OLAF is not able to discuss these allegations in more detail since that would require the disclosure of information which is confidential while judicial proceedings are taking place in Malta.

"OLAF regrets that selected  items of information from confidential reports have been disclosed inaccurately, out of context and in a distorted fashion in an attempt to create a misleading impression of the facts which are currently sub judice."