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Barroso tells court he is victim of slander

10 July 2014, 11:40 CET
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Barroso tells court he is victim of slander

Jose Manuel Barroso - Photo EP

(LUXEMBOURG) - European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso told the EU's General Court he was a victim of slander as he testified Monday in a case involving influence-peddling in the tobacco industry.

Barroso was called to give testimony in a case brought by a Maltese former health commissioner, John Dalli, who claims he was forced to resign in 2012 over claims of collusion with tobacco lobbyists.

Dalli's accusations were "completely unfounded and even defamatory," Barroso told the EU court. "I reserve the right to protect the reputation of this institution from any defamatory accusations."

The Maltese politician is seeking to have his October 2012 resignation overturned while winning a symbolic one euro in financial compensation.

He stepped down after the EU fraud office OLAF said a Maltese entrepreneur used his contacts with Dalli to seek a bribe from a Swedish firm in return for changes to draft tobacco legislation.

Dalli, who categorically denies all wrongdoing, has said Barroso called him in and demanded he resign within the half-hour, denying his request to give him 24 hours.

Dalli has repeatedly claimed he was set up by the tobacco lobby in order to delay anti-smoking legislation.

He told the court that when summoned by Barroso on October 16, he had no idea why, and had been taken by surprise by the charges and by the Commission president's demand for his immediate resignation.

Called in to testify, Barroso stated that he had asked the EU's top health official to explain behaviour "not in keeping with the proper conduct of a commissioner."

"Dalli resigned of his own will in my office," Barroso added.

The Commission chief said he had lost confidence in the health commissioner due to "bizarre to say the least" contacts with tobacco lobbyists.

It was essential to act as suspicion against a single one of the 28 commissioners would have cast doubt on the entire EU executive, he added.

If Dalli had not resigned of his own will "I would have asked him to", he added.

Several other top Brussels bureaucrats were being heard by the court, including Barroso's top aide, the head of the Commission's legal departments and Dalli's then assistant and spokesman.


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