The head of the EU’s anti-fraud agency, Giovanni Kessler, and a group of investigators who worked on the Dalligate case are expected to testify in Malta this week.

Mr Kessler is expected to take the witness stand on Tuesday along with lead investigator Luis Romero and others in the case brought against Sliema restaurateur Silvio Zammit.

The development comes after a few botched attempts at having the Brussels functionaries testify via video conferencing.

Last August, Mr Zammit’s defence team was given notice to prepare for such a session but at the time OLAF officials and other witnesses said they had not been informed of the event.

Last June, Mr Kessler was expected to travel to Malta but the summons was sent to him only a few days before the hearing and he could not make it.

A team from OLAF is expected in Malta tomorrow

However, sources in Brussels this time confirmed a team from OLAF is expected in Malta tomorrow.

Mr Zammit is pleading not guilty to charges of trading in influence after being accused of asking tobacco company Swedish Match for a bribe of €60 million in exchange for the lifting of a ban on snus, a form of smokeless tobacco that can only be sold in Sweden.

Former European commissioner John Dalli was forced to step down in October 2012 over the case.

Following an investigation by OLAF, Mr Kessler concluded there was circumstantial evidence to show Mr Dalli was aware that Mr Zammit  a friend and former canvasser of his  was using his name to solicit a bribe.

Mr Dalli has vehemently denied the charge and has even instituted a court case before the European Court of Justice contesting his forced resignation.

The case against Mr Zammit has been dragged out because of postponements and logistical bungles.

In a previous session, the court heard via video conferencing Tomas Hammagren, former executive at British American Tobacco and then chairman of the European Smokeless Tobacco Council. His involvement in the case is linked to an informal meeting that Mr Hammagren had with Mr Dalli in August 2010 which was arranged by Mr Zammit.

The meeting was not particularly eventful, the two men briefly exchanged views on the regulation of snus and the executive handed over some papers arguing the line peddled by the lobby.

However, the off-the-books meeting was deemed by then European Commission president Manuel Barroso to be in breach of the EU commissioners’ code of conduct.