The Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Keith Schembri allegedly forked out €80,000 to pay his part in the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia according to main suspect Yorgen Fenech, Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi has claimed.

Speaking on TVM’s Insights in a debate with Labour MP Robert Abela, Azzopardi, who is also representing the Caruana Galizia family in the case, said Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was “politically and criminally responsible”  the assassination, saying that Muscat is only staying on to ensure impunity for him and his inner clique.

“Ask the Cabinet whether they spoke about the messages Schembri was sending to [Fenech] while he was under police bail? Ask Cabinet whether Yorgen Fenech claimed that Keith Schembri paid €80,000 for the assassination?” Azzopardi said.

A recent report by Reuters revealed that the three-men charged with carrying out the assassination charged €150,000 for the murder.

Azzopardi added that Muscat’s hands were bloodied by the death of Caruana Galizia the moment he chose to defend Schembri over the Panama Papers all those years ago.

“Keith Schembri starts a libel case, then like a criminal refuses to speak because he doesn’t want to incriminate himself,” he continued.

The MP lambasted Muscat’s resignation address, especially for daring to mention Electrogas, of which Fenech is a key shareholder.

“This corrupt contract resulted in the assassination,” Azzopardi said.