Former Labour deputy leader Toni Abela has withdrawn his European Court of Auditors nomination, though his name still appears on the agenda for next week’s European Parliament plenary session in Strasbourg.

Dr Abela, 59, confirmed yesterday that his name had been withdrawn and, though it still appeared on the agenda, his nomination would simply not be discussed.

But sources at the European Parliament told the Times of Malta that though there was word of a withdrawal, nothing had been received officially.

Dr Abela failed to land a job at the Court of Auditors last month after trying to convince European parliamentarians from the budgetary committee, who grilled him on his connection to the pre-electoral ‘white block’ scandal and his lack of experience.

He had a hard time fending off questions related to his involvement in the perceived cover-up of cocaine use in a Labour Party club.

A recording emerged prior to the last general election in which Dr Abela is heard describing how a PL club leader stumbled upon a barman carving up a “white block”, interpreted to have been a drug reference. The matter was raised during the questioning, and in the end, 17 MEPs voted against him. Nine voted in favour.

Asked yesterday about his future in the party and the government, Dr Abela said he did not have the gift of foretelling the future. His let-down followed Chief Justice Silvio Camilleri’s, whose nomination for a European Court of Justice post was rejected earlier in March.