An uncomfortable situation has developed within government circles over the legal representation of the Prime Minister’s former Chief of Staff Keith Schembri.

Lawyer Edward Gatt is advising Schembri who is officially under investigation over the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Gatt has in the past also represented Prime Minister Joseph Muscat (who recently said he was “betrayed” by Schembri) and Economy Minister Chris Cardona (who this week requested Schembri’s removal from the Labour Party).

While Gatt has stood by Schembri’s side, his other past lawyers Pawlu Lia and Alex Sciberras have renounced their briefs in cases related to Schembri.

When contacted about whether these matters put him in an awkward position, Gatt specified that he was not the lead lawyer in Muscat’s Egrant case and he still remained good friends with Cardona.

“I don’t enter into the political debates. I just do my job as a lawyer,” he said.

Asked whether Gatt advised Schembri to discard his mobile phone or whether he was involved in the letter that was allegedly sent from Schembri to murder suspect Yorgen Fenech through their mutual doctor, Gatt denied this and said lawyers never get involved before an act took place.

Lovin Malta is informed that while Gatt and Cardona used to be very close friends, the two have since fallen out.

When contacted for his take on the matter, Cardona confirmed the two were not really friends anymore.

“We don’t meet any longer. Our friendship goes way back but we have grown apart. We haven’t spoken for weeks. I respect his job. I know he is a lawyer and he has to do his job, obviously within ethical parameters.”

Asked if he would consider using Gatt’s services in the future, Cardona said: “I have no problem. But I don’t think he would accept.”

The letter Schembri allegedly sent to Fenech through their mutual doctor urged the murder suspect to pin Caruana Galizia’s assassination on Cardona, leading to accusations that the Economy Minister was going to be framed.

Cardona specified with Lovin Malta that he never accused Schembri of coordinating a frameup.

“But somebody wrote that letter,” he said.

Cardona this week urged the Labour Party to oust Schembri, prompting the former Chief of Staff of the Prime Minister to step down himself.

Times of Malta recently reported that the letter was subjected to preliminary analysis but was not sent for in-depth forensic testing as police believe it is already compromised.

“The note changed hands a number of times and is far too contaminated for testing to provide any reliable insight into where it came from at this point,” a source close to the murder probe said.