The Tribune

A FORMER European Union Commissioner has denied hiding money in the Bahamas, saying his trip here last year is being exploited “for political hype”.

According to a report published on the website of Malta Today, John Dalli, a Maltese politician and former EU commissioner for health and consumer policy, told journalists at a press 
conference over the weekend that plans for his private flight to the Bahamas in July 2012 were decided around June 12 – before witnesses connected to an investigation that lost him his European job were even interviewed.

He said the witnesses therefore could not have alerted him to the probe by OLAF, the European Anti-Fraud Office.

The press conference took place a week after the International Herald Tribune reported claims by a Bahamian resident from whom Mr Dalli rented a Nassau villa, that he came in July to move millions of dollars here.

“The claims fuelled suspicions that Dalli interrupted a commissioners’ dinner in Cyprus upon being alerted by one of OLAF’s suspects, to fly to the Bahamas and arrange the transfer,” Malta Today reported.

Denying the allegation, Mr Dalli said “he never set foot in the Bahamas” on the July trip, but rather flew to Nassau by private jet, held talks about a philanthropic project while on the aircraft, and when he landed in Nassau, caught a plane back to Malta.

“Dalli was officially informed he was a person of interest in an OLAF investigation into an alleged €60 million bribe to reverse anti-smoking laws he was pushing, on July 11,” the report said.

At the press conference, Mr Dalli said he returned to the Bahamas in August for five days, and again in September for three days.

“Dalli says the Bahamas was chosen as a base for a network of Christian philanthropists who are seeking billions of dollars in finance to set up farming, mining and energy businesses in Africa, which can be sustainable, develop indigenous communities and give them access to markets,” the Malta Today report said.

It added that so far, claims of a $100 million transfer by Mr Dalli have not been substantiated.

“The former commissioner also says he has no bank accounts in the tax haven of the Bahamas, and says he sees no connection between his trip to the Bahamas and the OLAF investigation,” Malta Today said.

The report quoted him as saying: “I have done nothing wrong. My voluntary participation in this philanthropic venture was not precluded by the commissioners’ rules. . . this is all political hype fuelled by OLAF’s claims that it could re-open its investigation.”