John Dalli: the story that won't go away (as well it might not)
Published:
March 24, 2011 at 10:18pm
Africa Intelligence published this bit of information today in its Maghreb Confidential/Diplomacy brief:
John Dalli, Malta’s commissioner in Brussels (health and consumer affairs) quickly opposed any action by the European Union against Libya (MC 963). He had cultivated close ties in the past with Muammar Kadhafi ’s regime. He used to be a director of Libya’s Aziza Glass Manufacturing Company (AGMC), which is 40% owned by the Social & Economic Development Fund, whose assets have been frozen by the EU. Dalli owns a house in Tripoli.
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He “used to be a director of Lbya’s Aziza Glass Manufacturing Company (AGMC)”, and his daughter, Clare Gauci Borda, lists AGMC Glass as her employers on Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=538978546
“New Glass Processing Factory opens in Libya
15/05/2009 19:44:00
Azizia Glass Manufacturing Company (AGMC) will open its new Glass Processing factory on the 20th th May 2009. …
Mr Alexandsar Vasiljevic a director of the company … said that “he would like to thank our 40 % shareholder Libyan partners the Libyan Socialist Economic Fund for its valuable help in assisting with the government administrative matters” http://www.tripolipost.com/articledetail.asp?c=2&i=3136
(AGMC Glass) “has spent over 12 million Libyan dinars setting up and re generating the dedicated glass factory in Al azizia to provide the widest range of products, applications and glazing services to the construction industry here in North Africa.” http://www.linkedin.com/company/agmc-glass
“The 62-year-old Mr Dalli has built up close personal links with the Libyan regime over the past two decades.
In 2004 he set up John Dalli & Associates, a consultancy firm which specialised in opening doors for Maltese businessmen in Libya and which had an office in Tripoli. He also worked as a director in the Azizia Glass Manufacturing Company (AGMC), which has a multi-million-euro factory in the north African dictatorship.
He quit AGMC and John Dalli & Associates when he became a Maltese minister in 2008. But he kept John Dalli & Associates in the family by handing the business to his daughters and he still owns a house in Tripoli.” http://euobserver.com/843/31923?print=1
“Private Consultancy.
Mr. John Dalli is now running a consultancy organisation offering services in:
1.Assisting commercial organisation to develop strategies to meet the challenges and exploit the opportunities of a changing geo-political environment.
2.Introducing and facilitating the establishment of western companies in the North African Economies especially Libya
The company, John Dalli & Associates has offices in Malta and Tripoli.” http://www.johndalli.eu/pages/biography.asp
Some people just do not know when to call it quits! As long as there is a trough and they have a snout or connections….
This little, greedy, unfeeling man is about to be hanged, drawn and quartered. One would expect him to crawl away in shame, but he is shameless. As he continues to be Malta’s Commissioner, that shame envelops the country on the international scene, thus continuing to reduce what little standing we presently have in the freedom-fighting world.
[Daphne – The voracious hunger of people who felt deprived when growing up can never be assuaged by any amount of money or material goods later in life. That’s one thing I’ve observed. I could cite so many examples from the Maltese scene.]
It seems as if chickens are coming home to roost.
But, pray, it has never been illegal to have business in Libya. Not even to have political agreements with that country. Simon Busuttil, Nationalist MEP had many times shown his agreement to the push-back accord between Italy and Libya, because this stopped the flow of migrants northwards. And this, inspite of the fact that there was evidence that the Libyans were not necessarily giving red-carpet treatment to those sent back.
[Daphne – Albert, nobody here, least of all me, has ever said that it was or is illegal to do business in Libya. How could it be illegal? The laws of Malta are not extraterritorial. Also, Malta has nothing like the US law which governs American citizens and American businesses involved in bribery and corruption overseas.]
It’s not a question of legality, it’s one of morality. If John Dalli or anyone else feels OK getting in bed with a dictator, then we have the right to know.
Albert Farrugia, there is business and business.
Yes, you are right. It doesn’t have anything to do with morality. This is just plain LEGAL buisness. Good luck to him.
Was it legal? One wonders.
X’ironija – bil-fabbrika tal-hgieg, izda xejn ma hu trasparenti.
It’s neither a question of morality nor of legality. It’s a question of perception. John Dalli is not Malta’s Commissioner; there is no such thing. He is the Maltese member of the European Commission. He stopped representing Malta in his official capacity the day he was sworn in as Commissioner. Perception, on the other hand, is a totally different matter.
John Dalli has been constantly and repeatedly referred to as ‘the Maltese Commissioner’. Whether he represents Malta or not, is not the point.
His position on Libya is well known, thanks to his tactless remarks. He is, in other words, seen as Libya’s trojan horse within the EU Commission and Malta is guilty by association – a belief reinforced by the current collusion between Malta’s government and opposition, and the inept remarks made in interviews given to international media.
I really hope I am wrong on this one. Gadaffi has billions in various banks. Malta is very close to Libya. Gaddafi and Co must have deposited a great deal of money in Maltese banks knowing that by fear alone they have the necessary leverage if push comes to shove.
This money lying idle here is addictive because if used and replaced it is too much to ignore. If this evil hoard is here it is effectivly the noose around our banks’ necks and the reason for the inaction by our politicians.