The report had found that Zammit had approached the company Swedish Match, through contacts with Dalli, and sought to gain financial advantages in exchange for influence over a possible future legislative proposal on the tobacco product snus.

There was even a recording of one of these alleged extortion attempts, in which Zammit could be heard asking a tobacco lobbyist from ESTOC for €10 million. The woman is so shocked, she tells Zammit she’s “almost lying down”.

However, no transaction was concluded and no payment was made.

OLAF’s handling of the investigation, which was mainly based on circumstantial evidence, which included illegal wiretaps, has received stinging criticism from MEPs, Dalli, and others since its conclusion.

Then-director-general Giovanni Kessler said there was no conclusive evidence that Dalli was the instigator or mastermind but that there are a “number of unambiguous and circumstantial pieces of evidence”.

In 2020, the courts confirmed that Zammit’s rights were breached because prosecutors refused to declare evidence against him was closed.

Several years after the snus affair, Dalli was charged with trading in influence and attempted bribery. He is pleading not guilty.