What is clear she suggested is that the reason for Dalli's loss of office as presented by the commission president has "changed again".

"It wasn't [Dalli's] knowledge about the bribe, Barroso emphasised, but all the meetings with the tobacco industry; by the way, meetings in which the lobbyist did not say that she even worked for the tobacco industry.

"The commission president is applying double standards. The commission should not behave as if the tobacco lobbyists are lepers. If they were then a lot of people in the commission would be infected - including the commission president.

"This constant change of argument shows that the case rests on clay feet. The errors and infringements committed by the commission and OLAF are outrageous."

Barroso testified before the European court of justice, in a case filed by the former EU health commissioner John Dalli over a claim of unfair dismissal.

The Maltese official 'resigned' as commissioner in charge of health and consumer policy in October 2012 just before the commission launched the revision of the tobacco products directive.