Former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi has not denied that he had refused to sign off on a request by investigators back in 2012 to phone tap former EU Commissioner John Dalli's phone during the €60 million bribery allegation scandal.

Dalli had resigned from the post of EU Commissioner due to OLAF's suspicions that he knew his former aid allegedly tried to solicit a bribe of €60 million to help overturn a ban on snus, a form of smokeless tobacco.

Gonzi made a post on Facebook reacting to an article which appeared on the Times of Malta. The article read that "Sources privy to Gonzi's decision said the then prime minister's refusal to authorise the phone tap left investigators 'frustrated', as it closed off an avenue to gather further clues about Dalli's activities."

Gonzi's post referred to a part of the article which reads: "Sources said Gonzi's decision not to greenlight the security services tap in 2012 boiled down to him fearing it would be interpreted as a vendetta against his political rival."

In the post, Gonzi said that "this interpretation is being understood as though it was the reason behind my decision, which is why I have decided to post this comment. According to this article 'Gonzi's decision not to greenlight the security services tap in 2012 boiled down to him fearing it would be interpreted as a vendetta against his political rival'. I wonder how and why someone else's interpretation (see the words "boiled down") has now been presented as if it really was the reason for my decision. The law precludes me from giving details but I will do so at the right time and in the right forum in accordance with the law."