Lawyer Jason Azzopardi said the conclusion of the 17 Black magisterial inquiry goes to show that PN officials and assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia were “right all along”.

“Since 2017, Labour has been telling you that the boxes we handed to the magistrate were empty or filled with pizza or ice cream,” Azzopardi reflected.

“Many of you believed them, including people I never expected to fall into such a trap.”

Azzopardi had requested the inquiry several years ago on behalf of former PN leader Simon Busuttil, PN MEP David Casa and NGO Repubblika. Magistrate Charmaine Galea has now concluded the inquiry and, according to Times of Malta, has recommended the prosecution of former minister Konrad Mizzi and former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri, along with Yorgen Fenech, Paul Apap Bologna, and Mario Pullicno.

“I received so many insults simply because I did my duty along with Simon and others of the same belief,” Azzopardi said.

“How much they harassed me on the street. How much we were sidelined, oppressed, and threatened, from near and far. So many negative adjectives. Yet our heads were raised high. Now you know we were right, and that Daphne was right before us.”