You can block the EGR with a coin, no need to buy a kit, or you can disable the vacuum pump that operates it. Lots of folks have done it and the early P38's had no EGR. Personally I still think that the MAF affects fuelling to give closer control for emissions rather than just affecting the EGR. If it's for the EGR it's an expensive way of doing it, the MAP sensor or a modified version of it could perhaps have done the same job since the EGR must be closed when the turbo is presurizing the manifold or half the boost would be going the wrong way down the EGR pipe to the exhaustwhich is probably why yours wasn't pulling too well.
Not according to Rave Keith MAF is for EGR control only. If the MAF is duff the EGR could be open all the time. But fuelling maybe reduced if the ECU thinks the EGR is open because the MAF is knackered.