Gayle Kimberley guided second snus lobbying attempt

Gayle Kimberley, the Maltese lawyer turned prosecution witness in the John Dalli resignation affair, guided the lobbying attempts of the man facing criminal charges, according to e-mails seen by The Sunday Times of Malta. The e-mails show Silvio Zammit, 48, receiving detailed feedback from Dr Kimberley on what he should say and write to lobbyists in Brussels. But the lawyer, who had acted as the local representative for the tobacco company Swedish Match, always insisted with investigators that she had washed her hands of the whole affair after Mr Zammit allegedly asked for €60 million to help modify EU tobacco legislation. The attempt led to the forced resignation of Maltese EU Commissioner John Dalli last October, rattling the EU’s executive. According to a statement given by Dr Kimberley to the EU anti-fraud agency (OLAF) during their investigation, she recalled having been “very upset and annoyed with Silvio” for having put her in such a situation when he allegedly made this offer. “I made it clear to him that I was out of it,” she said. But even after Swedish Match on February 21 officially told Dr Kimberley that the company was not interested, she partnered again with Mr...