Former official accuses EU's Barroso of 'ambush' in graft scandal

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Former official accuses EU's Barroso of 'ambush' in graft scandal

<p><a href="http://news.yahoo.com/former-official-accuses-eus-barroso-ambush-graft-scandal-162617241--finance.html"><img src="http://l2.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/8Q24xoTkrnNC5Pdchh8qMA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7Zmk9ZmlsbDtoPTg2O3E9NzU7dz0xMzA-/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/Reuters/2014-07-07T162617Z_1_LYNXMPEA660P7_RTROPTP_2_ITALY.JPG" width="130" height="86" alt="European Commission President Barroso gestures during a joint news conference at the end of a meeting at Villa Madama in Rome" align="left" title="European Commission President Barroso gestures during a joint news conference at the end of a meeting at Villa Madama in Rome" border="0" /></a>By John O'Donnell LUXEMBOURG (Reuters) - A former top European official challenged EU Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso in court on Monday, declaring he was unfairly forced out of his job and maintaining his innocence in a graft scandal. John Dalli was forced to quit as EU health commissioner last October after his associate was accused of asking for 60 million euros ($83 million) from a tobacco firm in return for Dalli's help in influencing EU tobacco law. I did nothing wrong.&quot;     But Barroso told judges that he had little choice but to tell him to go, drawing similarities between this case and the resignation of all 20 commissioners in 1999 under Jacques Santer following accusations of corruption.     He described Dalli's contact with a 'bar and restaurant owner' and with industry as 'bizarre to say the least', given that he was responsible for new EU tobacco legislation.     &quot;It was a matter of common sense that a prolonged investigation would cast doubt over his integrity and that of the entire Commission,&quot; Barroso, a trained lawyer, told judges in Europe's second-highest court.     &quot;He did not give a convincing explanation for this strange contact,&quot; he said.</p><br clear="all"/>

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