How’s this for a plausible conspiracy theory, La Redoute: the tobacco industry colludes with Barroso to entrap Dalli: http://www.orizzont.com.mt/FullArticle.php?ID1='Ahbarijiet'&ID2=97136

“This was all a systematic plan to entrap me,” says Dalli.

Dalli’s past is catching up with him. The Snus ensnarement was acted upon with that past in mind.

Grow up

Give the poor guy a break. With a little guidance, he’ll be blowing the right thing on the right guy to his heart’s content.

Harry, now’s the time for the sordid stories to hit the headlines. Time to pour out that 18-year old scotch for your businessman buddies and press the record button.

Nelson Mandela helsuh minn Robben Island, miskin.

http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120313/local/Dalli-disappointed-as-his-GMO-proposal-is-rejected.410883

Rich lobbyists, those.

Will he still receive his commissioner’s pension?

Yes, if you consider a commissioner accepting to have his own canvasser involved in lobbying as something normal.

Actually, the onus of proof lies with the accuser. I am still waiting to read the full official report. What is taking so long?

[Daphne – You will never read it. It was made clear at the press conference that reports on any such investigation go straight to the Attorney-General of the member state in question, not even to the government. This is, in effect, a criminal investigation. Releasing the report is the equivalent of the police investigators in a criminal inquiry releasing all the evidence to the press before the trial.]

I am not anybody’s fan but I am aware that power can be abused at any level and people may be mislead easily or arrive to a hasty wrong conclusion – especially if there is pressure to produce or high political stakes (remember the WMD-in-Iraq story anyone?).

Mr Kesseler’s charm does not constitute proof.

Hmm.

The fact that Dalli was not in a position to tamper with the proceedings does not mean that he could not claim otherwise with his ‘clients’.

In fact, it’s feasible that Dalli would have thought it’d make a good excuse (with the general public) should any allegations surface. Do you seriously believe that anyone willing to illegally sell information (or tamper with reports) would not do so because the info sold is not really important (or the report tampering cannot really be done)?

On another note, the fact that delaying the directive would please a particular tobacco lobby does not prove that Dalli was set up by them. Whilst a set up is a possible scenario, it’s also possible (actually, probable) that the lobby is simply milking an opportunity provided by Dalli’s actions.

In short, at worst Dalli is a corrupt public servant, and at best he was promoted beyond his ability – as he evidently failed to build a decent working relation with his fellow commissioners and furthermore was too obtuse/selfish to avoid ambiguous contacts (which is the least he could do, considering the responsibility and rewards of his position).