Businessman Silvio Zammit’s defence team yesterday strongly objected to police reluctance to publish the EU anti-fraud agency’s report that brought down ex-European health commissioner John Dalli.

Lawyers Edward Gatt and Kriss Busietta were reacting to an application filed by the Police Commissioner and Attorney General last week who, following a magisterial order to have the report published, requested that the decision be revoked.

Dr Gatt and Dr Busietta said the request was “almost arrogant” and lacked respect towards the administration of justice when there was a clear order by Magistrate Anthony Vella to have the report presented in court.

The lawyers said the fact Police Inspector Angelo Gafà, prosecuting, could not attend the last sitting when the report was meant to have been exhibited, did not change anything and the order still stood.

Mr Zammit has been charged with bribery and trading in influence in connection with the Dalli case.

The two lawyers described the investigation as having been pursued with much “pomp and zeal” by “assistant (police) commissioners and (police) superintendents”.

They noted the prosecution’s allegation that, because of the ongoing investigation, the report could not be presented.

It was well known that the investigation had stopped, they argued.

“The police abusively and simply want to delay the report being exhibited, in the hope that it will be after John Dalli is charged in court,” they said.

Dr Gatt and Dr Busietta also accused the police of doing everything they could to stop the report from getting into the hands of the defence.

Why were the police doing their best to stop the report from being published if their investigation was really solid, distinct and different from the investigation carried out by the anti-fraud agency, they asked.