European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso said this evening that were the John Dalli case to come up again, he would act in the same manner as he did in 2012.

Former EU Health Commissioner John Dalli stepped down from the European Commission on October 12, 2012 after being confronted by Mr Barroso over claims by the EU anti-fraud agency that he must have known of alleged trading in influence by his long-time assistant Silvio Zammit.

"Everything that the commission did in this matter was 100 per cent. If this thing was to happen again today, I would act exactly the same, we were extremely cautious, I am a lawyer by training, I believe in the principle of justice, the presumption of innocence and the rights of people to defend themselves..." Mr Barroso told Times of Malta after the first - five hour - sitting of a court which is hearing Mr Dalli's complaint of unfair dismissal from the commission on October 16, 2012.

Asked why he had waited all this time to comprehensively defend himself and the commission, Mr Barroso said it was not his interest to get involved in media wars and entertain conspiracies, but this was not because he feared giving his side of the story.

When he was called to testify, he did so immediately.

Mr Barroso insisted that Mr Dalli had in fact resigned from the commission, as he had explained in his testimony, also borne out by other commission officials.

He said all the conspiracy theories, conjecture and allegations about the commission being 'in bed with the tobacco lobby' were simply a strategy by Mr Dalli.

See live report at http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20140707/local/live-dalli-and-barroso-face-off-in-luxembourg.526164