Former EU Commissioner John Dalli said in court this morning that when he initially refused the post of commissioner, then Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi had told him that if he did not take up the position he would appoint Richard Cachia Caruana instead.

Mr Dalli took the witness stand this morning in the libel suit filed by Malta’s former permanent representative to the EU, Richard Cachia Caruana, against the managing editor of MaltaToday, Saviour Balzan, for an article titled 'Why People will protest and not vote', published on May 24, 2009.

Mr Dalli claimed that Dr Gonzi continued to insist with him to accept the position and he finally did. But later, Mr Cachia Caruana told him that he had suggested him for the post.

Mr Dalli told the court that when he had contested the leadership for the post of PN leader, there had been a campaign against him by a group of Nationalist journalists.

He said that while under the premiership of Eddie Fenech Adami he was able to control the attacks, under Dr Gonzi they were so wide-ranging that he could not.

He said that when in 2008 new attacks started, he warned Dr Gonzi that if they were planning another attack as in 2004, he would not stay another week in government.

The attacks, he said, stopped almost immediately.