Updated - The Olaf press office this morning denied that Olaf Director General Giovanni Kessler had ever had any contact with former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi. It also denied a reference made by Mr Dalli yesterday to tape recordings of meetings.
In a reaction (see below) Mr Dalli said his information came from the same source which Dr Kessler spoke about.
In a statement this morning, the Olaf press office said:
"- Mr Kessler has never had any contact with Mr Lawrence Gonzi, they have never met nor discussed any matter.
- - Mr Kessler is not aware of the alleged tapes and conversations that Mr Dalli is referring to. He has therefore never mentioned such issues to any journalist. The quote attributed to him is entirely false," Olaf said.
In his press statement yesterday, Mr Dalli said:
"When I was in Brussels on the 19th June to meet my lawyers, I also met some journalists. I gave my opinion that with the evidence that is now coming out, Kessler might be in trouble. One of the journalist met me again later and told me that he had given Kessler this information and that Kessler told him that 'they must have the tapes of the interviews with Gayle Kimberly and his conversations with the then Prime Minister of Malta."
Dr Gonzi himself also denied ever having met or spoken to Dr Kessler.
JOHN DALLI REACTION
In a reaction, Mr Dalli said the information he had revealed came from the same source that Dr Kessler quoted 'as an excuse for him not to come to Malta.'
"This unsolicited information is tantamount to a confession by Kessler of what he knows he did wrong."
Mr Dalli said it was reported to him that Dr Kessler said “they must have the tapes of the interviews with Kimberly and the conversations I had with the Prime Minister”.
"As additional information, the source continued that at the time Kessler was feeling important because he was talking to a Prime Minister. I did not include this yesterday as this could have been an opinion of the source," Mr Dalli said.
"I would like to remind everyone:
1. Of the emails that were passing between OLAF (Antonio Miceli) and AFCOS (Rita Schembri) between July 2012 and the 5th October 2012 with an attachment titled “raport Dalli”
2. Of the meeting that was held in Malta between Barroso and Gonzi on the 5th October 2012.
3. Of the request by the Commission to OLAF for a date of closure of the investigation also on the 5th October 2012.
4. On the 15th October 2012, 2 hours before the report was handed by Kessler to Barroso, I am informed that there was a virtual chat between a L.O.U.I.S. in the OPM in Malta and a Dr. GK. The same people corresponded together by email on the 22nd October 2012 in Italian to fix a meeting," Mr Dalli said.
GOVERNMENT TO SEEK OLAF CLARIFICATION
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Owen Bonnici told Parliament last night that the government would be communicating directly with Olaf to seek details about Dr Kessler's claim that his office had sought assistance three times from Police Commissioner Peter Paul Grech on a new investigation about Mr Dalli, but received no reply.
The government confirmed Dr Bonnici's statement and said it believed in the independence of the police force and did not interfere in its administration.
The Police Commissioner said yesterday he only received one request and replied to it, but the request had no legal basis and he could not collect evidence illegally.