Criminal and civil lawyer Roberto Montalto, who used to represent Daphne Caruana Galizia, has warned that mafia level criminality has gripped the Maltese government.

Addressing a debate on Net News, Montalto referred to reports that the Prime Minister’s former chief of staff Keith Schembri had sent murder suspect Yorgen Fenech messages while the businessman was in hospital through their mutual doctor Adrian Vella. Fenech is believed to have told police that Schembri told him: “Don’t expose me and I’ll help you out” (Tikxifnix u ngħinek).

“Such serious things on a small crumb of a European island almost make the Palermo mafia and the cartels of Medellin and Tijuana look like children,” Montalto said. “We’re talking here about the highest form of crime, an assassination, coordinated by the government.”

“The Prime Minister knows everything and has known everything for a while. He won’t fool anyone. He always knew everything and you must be stupid to believe him. I never believed him and will never believe a word he says.”

“Joseph Muscat should never have become Malta’s Prime Minister because he’s brought us to this stage, the worst days of our lives. He used to be scandalised when the Nationalist Party had smelled whiffs of the scandals his party used to commit in the 80s but he’s ended up doing the same, only ten times worse.”

Meanwhile, lawyer Edward Debono warned that Muscat now poses a threat to the Maltese economy.

“He is endangering the livelihood of thousands of workers in fields like iGaming and tourism, because countries whose democracies are under threat don’t attract tourists.”