Rumours began to circle early yesterday afternoon that Mr Dalli was seriously considering tendering his resignation. Sources at the ministry said Mr Dalli was about to resign from his post due to the increasing pressure and also since his position as minister had become untenable.
A spokesman for Mr Dalli said he was denying these rumours and a source close to him said he had not yet taken any decision on the matter.
A cabinet meeting was held on Thursday but it is not known whether Mr Dalli’s case was one of the topics on the agenda. It is also not known whether Mr Dalli was asked to relinquish his post following the meeting.
Sources close to the Nationalist Party said Mr Dalli was expected to tender his resignation today but this information was not confirmed.
Claims of Mr Dalli’s alleged abuse of power began during a Malta Labour Party mass meeting in the run-up to the 12 June European Parliament election. However, the issue was first brought to light when a story was published by the Labour Party’s weekly newspaper KullHadd.
MLP leader Alfred Sant claimed that Gauci Borda Shipping Company was chosen as the agent of the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Lines (IRISL). Dr Sant continued by alleging that one of the directors of the Gauci Borda Shipping Company was a high-ranking official within Mr Dalli’s ministry while the newspaper claimed that the company’s secretary was Mr Dalli’s daughter.
During a press conference later in the week, Dr Sant claimed that the Iranian delegation was welcomed at the airport by Mr Dalli and later on that evening had a planned dinner with SMS Shipping. However, they cancelled this appointment and instead had dinner with Mr Dalli’s family at his house in Birkirkara, Dr Sant claimed.
Speaking to The Malta Independent, Mr Dalli insisted that he had never influenced any of IRISL’s decisions on which company to choose as their representatives in Malta, adding that SMS Shipping was never the company’s exclusive agent in Malta.
He shrugged off Dr Sant’s claims that he used his ministerial position to put pressure on an Iranian company to choose a specific representative in Malta, adding that these allegations formed part of “Alfred Sant’s usual pre- (EP) election mud-slinging tactics”.
Mr Dalli also called on the police commissioner to institute criminal proceedings against Dr Sant for the damaging allegations made about him.
Accusations about Mr Dalli mounted when it was later alleged that the ministry had used a particular travel agency for the Foreign Ministry’s travel requirements.