European tobacco regulations. On 16 October 2012, Dalli was forced to resign by Commission President José Manuel Barroso. Dalli has maintained that he did not resign, but in an interview given on the morning of 17 October, 2012 with New Europe confirmed Barroso asked him for his resignation, and alleged that the Tobacco lobby was involved in the case. Dalli has subsequently denied any knowledge of the alleged bribery. The OLAF report claimed that the decision-making process of the commission services was not jeopardized, that no money changed hands, and that Dalli was not involved in the execution of this action. However, they put forward the conclusion that he knew what was going on. This was stated in the statement issued by the Commission to announce Dalli's dismissal. Dalli had insisted from the outset that the report by OLAF should be published, but the commission always refused. Finally, this report was leaked by Malta Today on 28 April 2013. Upon its publication, there was a chorus of criticism of this report, which was described by some as amateurish and biased. On 24 December 2012, Dalli instituted a case in the European Court of Justice against the Commission to annul the decision by Barroso to force his resignation (Case T-562/12). On 7 and 8 July 2014, the ECJ held a public session to hear witnesses in the case, Jose Manuel Barroso, President of the Commission, was called as a witness in the proceedings. On 12 May 2015, the action was dismissed, and Dalli was ordered to pay the costs. Dalli also instituted a case in the Belgian Criminal Court against Swedish Match for defamation on 13 December 2012. In December 2014, Dalli extended the case to include OLAF as he insists that OLAF abused its powers in the investigation. This case seems to be stalled as the police officer on the case has been changed by the Belgian Authorities. The OLAF announced on 26 September 2013, that it had begun a new investigation into Dalli. Back in Malta Peter Paul Zammit, the police commissioner, appointed on 13 April 2013, reinvestigated the case and Dalli was called again to be interviewed on 21 May 2013. On 8 June 2013, Zammit stated that there was no evidence to arraign Dalli, but that the investigations were continuing. This position was reiterated by Zammit on 27 September 2013. In the summer of 2016, Giovanni Kessler's