Former EU Health Commissioner John Dalli has filed a request to the police to investigate a conspiracy for extortion and blackmail against him and his family by The Malta Independent on Sunday.
In his request, Mr Dalli said journalist Jacob Borg made various innuendos, false allegations and attempts at linking pieces of information that were disconnected and created the impression that he was somehow involved in a plan to defraud American individuals from their money.
“I declare that I do not have anything to do with any transfer of money between people. I have never solicited investment and never managed investments,” Mr Dalli said.
He said that, over the past months, the American individuals named had been harassing his daughter with statements that they made a report to the World Bank, to the IMF, to the FBI, to Interpol, to the US Senate, to the European Central Bank, to OLAF and to the Malta Police.
“This was in an attempt to intimidate her. They made specific threats that with full knowledge that my family and I had nothing to do with this affair and knowing how the media have been trying to crucify me, they would use the media to vilify me if their demands are not met post haste.
“They were trying to take advantage of the damage that media slander campaigns would cause to a person in my position, and this in an attempt extort money from my family and myself,” Mr Dalli said adding that correspondence about this was available.
He said it had become obvious that, over the past weeks, these Americans had been in contact with journalists of Standard Publications Limited and bloggers associated with them to exert pressure on his family and himself. These journalists and bloggers, he said, had been campaigning against me for years.
“As my family and I do not succumb to blackmail, they did embark on this media campaign with full connivance with the above newspapers.
“On April 7, I had informed the directors of Standard Publications Limited, by registered mail, of the malicious agenda being pursued by their papers and held them responsible," Mr Dalli said.
NEWSPAPER'S REACTION
In a reaction, the Malta Independent categorically denied Mr Dalli's claims that its editorial team was involved in a conspiracy for extortion and blackmail.
"This media house is proud of its editorial team and their efforts to report in an independent and unbiased manner. The Malta Independent can easily prove to have given Mr Dalli ample editorial space to explain and reply to allegations made in his regard by different local and foreign persons and/or institutions over the past decade. The Malta Independent will give full cooperation to the police in their investigations," the newspaper said.