Ousted Dalli threatens legal action

John Dalli is considering legal action over the circumstances in which he was removed from his job as European Health Commissioner.

He resigned last week after the EU’s anti-fraud office OLAF linked him to a Maltese businessman accused of trying to influence tobacco legislation.

Dalli says he has done nothing wrong and that his lawyers are urging court action:

“They (the lawyers) would lead me on the actions that I should be taking and which court I should be taking, because I have the choice of Malta, Brussels, Strasbourg.”

Dalli stepped down after a Swedish tobacco company said it had been approached by a businessman allegedly linked to the ex-commissioner, with a view to amending future anti-tobacco laws.

Dalli says he is the victim of a conspiracy: “I think that there was a plan for this to happen, I believe that more light will be shed when this report by Olaf will be accessible to me.”

Our correspondent in Brussels, Fred Bouchard, said: “The war of words between John Dalli and Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso continues. In a letter addressed to the ex-commissioner Barroso has confirmed his resignation was ‘irrevocable’.”

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