A highly anticipated House Privileges Committee meeting, in which the EU’s anti-fraud chief had been expected to testify, turned into an anti-climax when Giovanni Kessler failed to show up.

Speaker Anġlu Farrugia read out a letter to the committee from Dr Kessler saying the European Commission had not granted him permission to testify.

Mr Kessler had been invited to give testimony over a breach of privilege complaint raised in 2013 by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat against Opposition leader Simon Busuttil.

Dr Busuttil had accused Dr Muscat of intervening to prevent John Dalli’s arraignment in court in connection with OLAF claims which a year earlier had led to his to resignation as European Commissioner. The Commission said the request needed prior consent from the College of Commissioners and that its officials were bound by professional secrecy.

It added that in the wake of the “extremely short prior notice” and the “scarcity of information”, it was “materially impossible” for the Commission to grant authorisation. The Speaker disagreed, noting the committee had been corresponding with Mr Kessler since June

The committee agreed to ask the Commission to grant Mr Kessler the permission to testify.

Earlier, the Speaker turned down a request from Mr Dalli to confront the OLAF chief during yesterday’s sitting.

Mr Dalli had asked to be a party to the proceedings, through a letter sent in the morning in which he accused the Opposition of trying to “smear” him by summoning Mr Kessler.

The Speaker noted in reply that even though committee meetings were open to the public, according to Standing Orders Mr Dalli’s presence could not be of “a participatory nature”.

The parliamentary committee, he added, was not the forum for a confrontation with Mr Kessler over his testimony in court.