@lovinmaltaofficial What do you make of Joseph Muscat’s statement? 👀 #malta #lovinmalta #maltatiktok #josephmuscat #statement #tiktok #maltatiktok #fypmalta #viralvideo ♬ original sound – Lovin Malta

Muscat called for an investigation into how information on the search was leaked to third parties, including PN MP Jason Azzopardi and Repubblika president Robert Aquilina.

“Aquilina, whose NGO requested the inquiry in the first place, has admitted that he was present during the search after someone informed him,” Muscat said. “He admitted that he was informed of a search that should have been kept secret. This, along with the fact that Azzopardi had written a post hinting at the search and spoken privately about it, erodes trust in the whole process.”

“It doesn’t just cast doubt in my eyes but in the eyes of thousands of people. As the Prime Minister [Robert Abela] said correctly, the institutions shouldn’t only be pleased that they have responsibility and trust vested in them but they should use this responsibility and trust well.”

Police raided Muscat’s Burmarrad home last weekas part of a magisterial inquiry into Vitals Global Healthcare, the company which had been granted a controversial concession to develop and manage the St Luke’s, Karin Grech and Gozo hospitals which it eventually sold to Steward Healthcare after running into financial problems.

Muscat said the police had asked him for information about payments he had received with Accutor AG, a Swiss company run by lawyer Wasay Bhatti which had received at least €3.6 million from Steward Healthcare during the period it had taken over the VGH concession.

The former Prime Minister has denied any wrongdoing, insisting that these payments were consultancy fees for work that has been fully documented.