In the Swedish media, Zammit is being described as a ‘snus smuggler’
A Swedish newspaper has sent its people to Malta, where one of its journalists has given a spiel to camera standing at Portomaso, where Dalli lives.
She then interviews him at the Hilton hotel there, where he looks very uncomfortable and awkward sitting at a conference table. Has he dispensed with the amazing PR skills of Saviour Balzan?
Unfortunately for Dalli, right beneath this video interview, the newspaper ran a story about his sidekick’s illicit snus activities, with the (Swedish) word for ‘snus smuggler’ in the headline.
Here’s a rough translation:
Peppi restaurant in Malta identified as snus smuggler for Swedes
Owner: Designated snus smuggler Silvio Zammit
– No comment, says Zammit
The businessman and former deputy mayor of Sliema, Silvio Zammit, was well known in Malta before he was singled out by Swedish Match as the one trying to get them to pay 513 million SKR for a backtracked export ban on snus.
Organises local circus
Zammit owns a lot of business in the country, and organises a controversial circus there. He has a popular restaurant in the city where he until recently was deputy mayor.
His restaurant, Peppi, is described on several sites, such as Facebook, as the place where the Swedes in Malta can buy snus – even though there is a ban on its sale outside Sweden, according to EU rules.
But when Aftonbladet contacted Silvio Zammit, to ask him about this smuggling business and the illegal sale of snus from his restaurant, he replied simply:
– No comments.
So he has answered all of our questions.
When John Dalli, who had to resign after Zammit’s overture to Swedish Match, was told about the suspected snus sales at Peppi he said:
“Well, there you go, there you have Zammit’s link with snus. Had I known about it, I would have told him that it is wrong. I’d probably also have done something about it and talked to customs.”
Aftonbladet visited Peppi’s yesterday to see if snus is still being sold there.
“There is no snus. You’ll have to buy in your home country,” a staff member said when we asked for a box.
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http://www.aftonbladet.se/nyheter/article15644385.ab
“You have been accused of asking for money to lift the ban on snus. Is this true?”
Aftonbladet rag, or ha’penny reporter? Either way, even in little Malta we get more credible reporting.
So the whiter than white, uncorrupted and uncorrupting Swedes from the Arctic North, who look down their noses at the inferiior moral standards of the southern races in the Mediterranean are actually the driving force behind the illegal contraband in SNUS!
As Onslow would say: “That’s nice!”
Dear Dr Saliba, the driving force behind the illegal contraband in snus would be the person who imports it illegally to countries where it’s illegal, like Malta.
Snus is legal in Sweden, in case you haven’t noticed.
Swedish Match is dissatisfied with the legality of snus being confined to Sweden and it is doing its malignant best to expand it by fair means or foul.
Contraband would be only one small facet with limited efficacy. Torpedoing the Directive at source and destroying the Commissioner promoting it by entrapment would be more rewarding.
So now Dr Saliba is slandering Swedish Match by implying that it is involved in contraband, as well as entrapment.
“I’d probably have done something about it and talked to Customs”. Probably? You were in duty bound to do something about it.
What I cannot quite understand (amongst other things) is why Zammit took the risk of importing and selling snus illegally.
How many snus-sucking Swedes could there possibly be in Malta?
If I had to resort to dealing, it wouldn’t be snus.
When dealing with illegal stuff, the market would not be the only concern. A significant concern would be the amount of risk involved.
While snus is illegal in Malta because of its EU ban, it is not classified in the same way as illegal drugs are, and so would presumably carry a significantly lower penalty.
‘How many snus-sucking Swedes could there possibly be in Malta?’
A lot! More than you can think of, really.
Dr Saliba, stop clutching at straws.
In the interview abovem Dalli states that he would have told Zammit that it was wrong to sell snus had Dalii known about it.
That rules out the contention that Dalli sent the judicial letter (that we have yet to see) because Zammit was selling snus at Ta’Peppi. The more Dalli seeks to extricate himself the deeper he sinks into the filthy mire of his own making.
Any decent person holding the post of EC Commissioner would have resigned at the first intimation that he was under investigation by OLAF.
Dalli was called in once, and then again when accompanied by his lawyer, but still hung on to the post.
That left the Commission with no option other than to boot Dalli out – and even at that late stage Dalli tried to hang on.
And to those who state that Dalli should be allowed to prove his innocence, Dalli had that opportunity at least twice with OLAF and failed.
Malta’s good reputation is not enhanced by defending the likes of Dalli, but by distancing itself from such individuals.
Johnny, if you were in your right senses, you would never have dared touch Silvio with a bargepole.
Someone with your international profile would not have been seen anywhere, ever, within a kilometre of Silvio.
Ma min rajtek xebbahtek.
I wonder. Who is vetting PN candidates for local councils? Seems like they have adopted ‘the more the merrier attitude” at PN headquarters.
“In line with rules Mr Dalli will receive an allowance so that he can move back to Malta and will also be paid transitional allowance for a three-year period until he finds another job or retires. This corresponds to 45 per cent of his old salary. His pension will be paid after the transition.”
Not bad for resigning…
How come the PN had this man as its Deputy Mayor in Sliema?
[Daphne – Because people elected him. How come the MLP has a Super One reporter as its leader?]
But who accepted him in the PN in the first place?
Perhaps it failed your notice but according to Dalli, Silvio Zammit asked him to intercede with the PN after he found difficulties being accepted as a candidate for the Local Council Elections. It’s there somewhere but don’t expect me to re-read all that crap just to find the line.
Sometimes I wonder how is it we Sliema residents always manage to elect at least one rotten apple to our Council.
Because, come on, sometimes just by having a good look at the contenders leaves no doubt as to what kind of person he is.
I think that candidates should be properly vetted before being allowed to run for public office.
Was he already dealing with snus when he was chosen to be our deputy mayor?
How is it only now that persons are saying all this?
Since when did running a snack bar make one an entrepreneur?
I am not saying that all these accusations are true, but if they are, my name sake should pack up and join his circus, as a clown.
Snus had not yet achieved great notoriety when he was elected and he appeared to be less of a f**ck up than a freaky Nikki Dimech type.
Selling contraband be it snus, weed or cocaine in these hole in the wall type establishments with the legal cover of snack bar or kiosk in Malta is the way to get rich for some of the politically connected lower classes.
Dan kif kien jghaddi s-snus mid-dwana? X’kobba imhabbla.
John Dalli, Nazzjonalist minn guf ommu, ex-ministru Nazzjonalist u Silvio Zammit, Nazzjonalist imgiddem u ex-vici Sindku Nazzjonalist tas-Sliema. GonziPN kaput.
Peter F. Fenech jien ma nafx kif l-iskart li jarmu GonziPN tigbruh intom tal-Labour.
Xi dwana?
Anyone know where we can get snus now that Peppi’s is taking care not to be caught selling it? I am itching to get some of the good stuff again over here.