Swedish MEP calls John Dalli invitation ‘scandalous’
Again, it’s Google Translate, I’m afraid.
July 1st, 2013 at 23:35, Updated: July 2, 2013 at 00:05
FOCAL POINT | ALMEDALEN 2013
SCANDAL THAT DALLI IS INVITED TO ALMEDALEN
Although the European Commissioner John Dalli had to leave their assignments and suspected of corruption. The Tobacco Facts now invite him to Almedalen where he can exonerate himself and put the story grips are sensational. MEP Christofer Fjellner (M) writes.
Photo caption: Dalli is 64 years old and has been commissioner for health and consumer policy since 2010. He already has a long political career behind him in the home country of Malta where he has been finance and foreign minister. YVES LOGGHE / AP
Who will in the future come out with damning facts about those in power if it’s like this man made suspicious and treated?
Dalli was forced to resign as health commissioner after suspicions of bribery and corruption. Tuesday, July 2, he comes to Almedalen. Now storms again around Dalli. EU fraud agency OLAF announced that they are considering resuming their investigation after new information has emerged. Dalli should have carried out $ 100 million to the tax haven of the Bahamas.
But let’s take it from the beginning. Last fall, it was found that a friend of Dalli trying to get the Swedish tobacco company Swedish Match to pay outrageous SEK 500 million for the Commissioner to propose lifting the export ban on Swedish snus. Swedish Match reported Dalli, and an investigation showed that he Kante to contacts, then Commission President Barroso called for his resignation.
No one is guilty until proven guilty, but it is undoubtedly a sensation that a commissioner forced to resign. But almost as sensational is that the organization Tobacco Facts chosen to invite Dalli to Almedalen to exonerate himself and put the story grips. Tobacco Facts, an organization funded by taxpayers through the National Public Health Institute and led by a former employee of the same agency, namely choosing a different historiography about Dallis balances and disclosures. It’s the story where “lobbying led to Mr Dalli was forced to resign.”
To further rip out the concept of sensation so it should be added that Dallis involvement in Almedalen takes the form of a conversation with the miljöpartistiske MEP Carl Schlyter. Schlyter also happens to be responsible for the Tobacco Products Directive for the Green Group in the European Parliament.
I can not for my life understand how an organization is trying to pretend to be serious, and how a politician who actively work with tobacco legislation, one can imagine that appear in the same room as John Dalli. Let alone stand on the same stage and paint until an alternate description of reality, and as sweeping corruption charges under the rug for attacking a company that acted as whistle-blowers.
Well, I understand that you can easily suspect tobacco companies. It’s probably not the world’s noblest branch. But it has to go so far that “the enemy of my enemy is my friend”? Dalli is a man whose long political deed ever been followed by persistent stories of widespread nepotism and secret bank accounts, a number of corruption investigations and spectacular departures from various ministerial posts after devastating criticism. By his own tearful admission, he is always falsely accused by others and always innocent. Again and again.
But regardless Dallis interference so there is something more serious in the balance. Swedish Match, which acted as whistle blower and reported irregularities, has been subjected to a relentless smear campaign from the political machine in Brussels. A campaign Tobacco Facts and Schlyter now provide fire support to. What consequences will this? Who will in the future come out with damning facts about those in power if it’s like this man made suspicious and treated?
Let’s rewind the tape again. After corruption investigation unit was investigating in Malta. Dalli stayed away island and questioning. But then came a new government, which appointed a new police chief, who in turn explained that there would be no prosecution. And look – then became Dalli suddenly healthy and could travel back to their homeland. Yes, he switched to the party and got a ministerial post. You would laugh at the spectacle of it is not so to Tobacco Facts been a key player in the push to maintain the EU export ban on snus and thus ironically secured a new decade of sales for the cigarette industry.
Sweden has failed to get the EU to understand the finesse of the Swedish snus tradition. Each member is entitled to equal treatment is clearly no longer a basic principle of trade union. And snuff has been a major factor in getting the Swedish smoking to sensationally low levels compared to other EU countries.
Most likely, we never get complete clarity in Dallis interference and exactly what happened. But if the investigation was so solid that Barroso kicks a commission from their own group – well then it must be considered extremely remarkable that Tobacco Facts and Carl Schlyter want to be associated with him. Especially during Almedalsveckan, where policymakers, opinion leaders and journalists meet in an open environment on an island in the Baltic Sea. An environment that is light years away from shady negotiations with hundreds of millions in the pot on an island in the Mediterranean.
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Speakers of Swedish can read the original here:
http://www.svd.se/opinion/brannpunkt/skandal-att-dalli-ar-inbjuden-till-almedalen_8311286.svd
“After corruption investigation unit was investigating in Malta. Dalli stayed away island and questioning. But then came a new government, which appointed a new police chief, who in turn explained that there would be no prosecution. And look – then became Dalli suddenly healthy and could travel back to their homeland. Yes, he switched to the party and got a ministerial post. You would laugh at the spectacle ….”
How embarrassing for Malta!
How embarrassing to be Maltese right now.
Back to Mintoff’s old days – never could admit to being Maltese without a deep sense of shame and embarrassment.
Indeed!
In the mid-70’s a colleague of mine, attending an international conference abroad, was greeted with “Malta, eh. Small island, big noise”
I wouldn’t wonder if, thanks to JDalli BA, that greeting would to-day turn to “small island – big fraud”!
I assume Mintoff’s bible has been found.
The only Briksa Joseph has memorised and absorbed from cover to cover and done the necessary pilgrimages for.
Just look at that concluding comment:
“Especially during Almedalsveckan, where policymakers, opinion leaders and journalists meet in an open environment on an island in the Baltic Sea. An environment that is light years away from shady negotiations with hundreds of millions in the pot on an island in the Mediterranean.”
Not a nice advert for Malta at all.
And it’s all the fault of our PM who continues to associate Mr. Dalli with the government of Malta.
Barroso was right: he did not want his commission to be put in any bad light at all, and so he asked Mr. Dalli to either resign, or be sacked. That’s called leadership.
The Times and Malta Today of 1st July reported that Ingeborg Gräßle came out criticising OLAF’s investigation as amateurish. What she has neglected to state is that John Dalli is a corrupt politician, a compulsive liar and a SOCIOPATH.
Also, Ms Grässle has come to Dalli’s defence stating “It is imperative that the European Commission finally understands that this is about bringing more transparency into this case. This is only possible if it answers our questions on the Dalli case and its tobacco link, as well as the questions raised above”
Transparency has to be shown from all parties involved. John Dalli is not transparent at all. He always hides behind a confidentiality excuse. Where there are serious allegations, as there is in this case, confidentiality ends and a proper impartial investigation into new allegations should be conducted.
John Dalli conducted business with Gaddafi making millions for himself and breaching United Nations sanctions. The Malta Police Commissioner proved to be hasty in reaching his decision stating that there was not enough evidence to prosecute in this case and ignoring other allegations of corrupt practices against John Dalli. This also raises suspicions the Police Commissioner was acting from orders from above.
It is evident that the Malta police should not be trusted with such an investigation unless there is a European police force to oversee the investigation.
Also, if Ingeborg Gräßle and other MEP’s are not pleased by OLAF’s way of investigating, with the new allegations of international money laundering and breach of UN sanctions the investigation should be conducted by the United States National Security Agency.
As for transparency Ms Grässle and all MEP’s should publish on line every month, a month in arrears, the expenses that all MEP’s are claiming from Brussels. That way, all EU citizens will have the opportunity to judge if they are abusing the system and becoming rich off our backs for doing a bad job while acting as mouth pieces and boot lickers to corrupt politicians like John Dalli.
Transparency and accountability are a must. It is up to EU citizens to judge if their representatives in Brussels are conducting themselves in a proper and acceptable manner and not abusing the system for their personal financial gain.
http://4th-one.blogspot.co.uk/
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20130701/local/dalli-case-bahamas-story-further-evidence-of-olafs-amateur-investigation-epp.476234
Almedalen is in Gotland, a Swedish summer holiday island. They have lots of political activities this week. Dalli seems to be talking during one of the activities in a debate on the tobacco lobby and the famous directive: http://news.cision.com/se/miljopartiet-de-grona-i-eu-parlamentet/r/tobaksdebatt-i-almedalen-med-dalli-och-schlyter,c9435102
The session is organised by a tobacco think tank
http://www.almedalsveckan.info/event/user-view/15503?redir=
How very sad that after all the years and the hard work put in, we had shed the embarrassment of being Maltese, these people have managed to make Malta a laughing stock once again and in such a short time.
I said in the past and I say it again now . Back to the old golden days of the 70s and 80s
Back in the Golden Days we had Gaddafi, Ceausescu, Enver Hoxa and the (Communist ) USSR with its satellite countries run by puppet governments, all around us.
Now after all these demigods fell or failed , we in Malta have to put up with this lot.
One glaring case which points to this dictatorial system is how the police commissioner treated the case of the Isle of MTV security chief for not letting in someone who knew Silvio Scerri without the necessary ‘VIP’ identification.
The Commissioner started pin pointing legalities and nitpicking AFTER the security chief spoke up about this incident to the Times of Malta.
By any chance did that singer Jessie J stop singing because of this incident (VIP area was where Jessie J pointed).
http://www.digitalspy.co.uk/music/news/a493898/jessie-j-stops-gig-to-break-up-fight-at-isle-of-mtv-video.html
These people are taking us back to being ashamed to say we’re Maltese. Years of hard work building our reputation gone down the drain in a couple of days.
I agree with Bubu
Very embarrassing to be Maltese.
I have the same feeling of when I traveled to the USA and had to show that ugly green passport we had at that time. Not ugly because of the color, but because we were associated with Gaddafi.
Looks like those times are back although on different issues.
Dear Dr. Gonzi, I sincerely want to thank you once again for being such a good gentleman and leader.
Your sacrifices are paying off and you can hold your head up high and walk with pride.
However allow me to fault you on one thing. You should have exposed Dalli and all the other corrupt politicians in your cabinet more openly hence sparing us this mess of a government.