“I heard some noises in an office…”

Johanna Darmanin’s testimony yesterday was by far the most telling (and entertaining, though that’s hardly the point here).

I heard some noises in an office…I saw Dalli and he told me we have a problem, I need to contact my wife. I need to see about my rights. My allowances and whether I have a pension.

Later he convened all the staff and informed us he would no longer commissioner. One of his staff asked if it was true he met tobacco lobbyists, and he said, ‘You know who I am – if they ask me to meet them I do.’

I went to his office to find him dictating a statement to the effect that he had been entrapped by the tobacco industry and about the OLAF investigation.

Later the Director General under Mr Dalli Laura Testory Coggi entered the office. We drafted a line for him together.

I again heard loud voices and found Mr Dalli arguing with Mr Frederic Vincent. He wanted to issue a statement as Commissioner. I told him this would not be possible because as of 17:00 hours he was no longer Commissioner.

Later Mr Dalli was in his office with a journalist. I asked to have a word with him in private in which I told him that it was not wise for him to deny the contents of the Olaf report if by his own admission he was not aware of its contents.

That was the last time I was in touch with him though he did keep contact with other members of the cabinet for logistical reasons.