In his interview, Muscat took several swings at the credibility of the public inquiry which found the state culpable of creating a state of impunity that permitted the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

He questioned why the State Attorney was kept out of the public inquiry, while Caruana Galizia’s family lawyers were allowed to participate.

“I don’t know why this happened but we’re in a situation where the state is being accused, the family is making its submissions, and the state did not only not intervene but said it was kept in the dark during proceedings,” Muscat said.

He also said he has “no doubt” the inquiry findings were prematurely leaked to the Opposition, arguing that two days before the inquiry was published, PN leader Bernard Grech had called for the implementation of its recommendations.

“The terms of reference did not cite recommendations,” Muscat said.

The former Prime Minister then took aim at Joseph Said Pullicino, a former Chief Justice and one of three members of the board inquiry.

Muscat referred to a recent post by lawyer and former PL deputy leader Joe Brincat which claimed that Said Pullicino had condemned the state’s links to the Caruana Galizia murder on behalf of outgoing Ombudsman Anthony Mifsud in the 2019 Ombudsman’s annual report.

“I am now shocked to read an article by Dr Joe Brincat that the former chief justice had already expressed himself on the matter in a report he had written for the Ombudsman. And the conclusions for that report are practically replicated in the inquiry,” Muscat said.

“I have nothing against Said Pullicino but I’m just pointing out something Joe Brincat said, which he hasn’t rebutted,”

He recounted how Caruana Galizia’s family had objected to two of the government’s original nominees to the inquiry board, Ian Refalo and Anthony Abela Medici, on the grounds of alleged conflict of interest.

Muscat took another dig at the public inquiry by claiming it wrongly quoted something he told them behind closed doors as being said in open court.

“In the inquiry, I am quoted as saying that I was very angry that the alleged killers seemed to be informed before they were arrested,” he said. 

“Those were very closed meetings, and I was angry because people could have died.

Unfortunately, the inquiry quotes that part of my testimony behind closed doors, saying I said it in the open. It’s not true, I didn’t say that in the open. It’s one of the things that might be minor, but it dents the inquiry.”

Finally, Muscat argued, as he did repeatedly while Prime Minister, that the public inquiry could prejudice the criminal case against Fenech. 

“I hope legal advice was sought to ensure that the way this inquiry was written would not prejudge the criminal case.”

“I’m not a lawyer but I hope advice was sought. But if we go through the entire process and the case is taken to a court of human rights which concludes that the case was prejudged, we’d have done all this for nothing.”

What did you make of Times of Malta’s interview with Joseph Muscat?