Prime Minister Robert Abela refused to say whether he will take any action against Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis in the wake of damning revelations concerning questionable text message conversations with Yorgen Fenech, the main suspect in the Daphne Caruana Galizia assassination. 

Lovin Malta revealed a wealth of messages sent between Fenech and Zammit Lewis between January and August 2019, when Fenech was already outed as the owner of 17 Black, a Dubai-based company linked to alleged government corruption.

In the messages, Zammit Lewis mocked “stupid Labour voters”, at one point even telling the Tumas Group businessman that he was “proud to know [him]”. Beyond that, the Times of Malta has already revealed the existence of exchanges showing Zammit Lewis mocking attempts to have 17 Black investigated.

Lovin Malta reached to Abela to see whether he would take any action against Zammit Lewis and what it means for his government commitment to implemented crucial recommendations outlined in the public inquiry report linked to the assassination. 

Zammit Lewis, as Justice Minister, will be instrumental in ensuring the many recommendations are introduced. 

“The Prime Minister’s commitment towards these recommendations will be evident in the reforms which will be made and the actions to implement them,” an OPM spokesperson said in reply. 

The spokesperson did not reply to questions asking to clarify whether the Prime Minister will take any action. He has failed to answer the question despite numerous requests for clarification.

This comes just days after a public inquiry told communications spokespersons that they should be obliged to respond to all requests for information.

Questions on the relationship between Fenech and Zammit Lewis have been rife ever since the arrest of the former in connection with the murder. It has already been revealed that Zammit Lewis and Fenech shared hundreds of messages between one another, the last of which was sent in October 2019, a month before his eventual arrest.

Meanwhile, Lovin Malta revealed in November 2020 that former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and Zammit Lewis had both gone on a private holiday to Fenech’s Hilton hotel in France.

Sources have said that the holiday was part-financed by Fenech.

Both Muscat and Zammit Lewis categorically denied Fenech had funded the holiday and had pledged to publish proof of this. Ten months later, however, and there was no sign of any documentary evidence showing that they had paid their own way.

The Nationalist Party has said that it will be asking for Parliament to meet urgently to discuss a no-confidence motion in Zammit Lewis. 

The minister has been unrepentant when confronted with remarks he had made in a WhatsApp conversation with Fenech, insisting that nothing new had been revealed.