EU Health Commissioner Resigning Amid Fraud Allegations.

 

Reuters (10/17, Dunmore) reports that EU Health Commissioner John Dalli has resigned amid an anti-fraud investigation. The EU investigation, while not conclusive, managed to connect Dalli with a Maltese businessman who was seeking to influence European tobacco policy. Dalli, who is also Maltese, denied the allegations.

BBC News (10/17) reports that according to Olaf, the EU's anti-fraud office, "the tobacco producer Swedish Match complained in May that a Maltese entrepreneur had used his contacts with Mr Dalli to try to gain financial advantages from the company." He purportedly "offered in return to influence a possible future legislative proposal on tobacco products, in particular on the EU export ban on snus, a smokeless tobacco taken orally." The article notes that "Dalli categorically rejected the investigation's findings."

The AP (10/17, Casert) reports, "Swedish Match takes this incident very seriously," the company said in a statement. "The incident was promptly reported to the European Commission, and the report from the Anti-Fraud Office has confirmed that the notification was warranted."

The Wall Street Journal (10/17, Robinson, Subscription Publication) reports that Olaf wrote in the report, "After the [European Commission] President informed Mr. Dalli about the report received from OLAF, Mr. Dalli decided to resign in order to be able to defend his reputation and that of the Commission."

The AFP (10/17) reports that "such high-level resignations are virtually unprecedented at the EU." Mr. Dalli "will be replaced temporarily by a Commission vice president, Maros Sefcovic, until Malta can put forward a successor."

 

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