Lawyer Gayle Kimberly, the local representative of Swedish Match this afternoon denied in court that she was the person who had asked for €50m to €60m to secure the lifting of the EU ban on snus smokeless tobacco.
Dr Kimberly was replying to questions put to her by lawyers Edward Gatt and Kris Busietta during the compilation of evidence against Silvio Zammit, who stands accused of trading in influence and bribery.
Mr Zammit was a canvasser of former EU Health Commissioner John Dalli, who had been responsible for the EU's tobacco regulations.
In her fifth appearance in court, Dr Kimberly confirmed what she said in previous testimony - where she spoke on meetings with Mr Zammit,
Dr Gatt referred to notes which she had given Mr Zammit with questions to ask Commissioner Dalli. In these notes she had said that Swedish Match had a turnover of €500 million.
Dr Gatt said Dr Kimberly had made this reference because she had later intended to askfor €50m, a figure she later increase to €60m.
But in her reply, Dr Kimberly said this was not true.
Asked whether she had intended opening an office in Brussels, she said she had never intended to and did not need to as she had a well paying job there.
Dr Gatt asked if the police or Olaf (the EU anti-fraud agency) had seized the i-phone, from which she sent her e-mails.
She replied in the negative.
Dr Gatt also asked Dr Kimberly whether she knew that the policemen who interviewed her in Malta had argued over whether to arraign her or not.
At this point Police Inspector Angelo Gafa' started laughing.
Dr Gatt said he was laughing as he was one of them.
Dr Gatt at this point stopped his cross examination and said Dr Kimberly should be required to go to court again for questioning.
She protested, saying she had been to court five times and she could not return for three months as she was due to give birth.
Dr Gatt said that was not a problem as a sitting could be held later.
He said there was a mountain of telephone logs and e-mails which needed to be looked into and explained.