He refused to entertain suggestions of what he would do if Fenech requests a pardon in return for exposing corruption at the upper echelons of government.

“Look, I think it’s very premature to say that,” he said. “Obviously there are always conditions…so, I’m not entertaining any issue on whether there is a further request for a pardon, but what’s obvious is that I don’t shelter anyone, I’ll do whatever is necessary and whenever its necessary.

The Prime Minister spoke to the press after Fenech was released on police bail last night, a process which he noted gives them the right to interrogate him further prior to potentially prosecuting him.

He said the police had originally planned to finalise their interrogation of the alleged middleman Melvin Theuma before turning their eyes to Fenech, but that they were forced to change their plans following developments on Wednesday. This was a reference to how Fenech had tried to leave Malta by yacht in the early hours of the morning.

Muscat said that he, and not the police, is giving public statements about the case because he feels the Maltese public has a right to be informed about the latest developments but that he doesn’t want to burden the police with that duty.

“I don’t want to burden the police with making public announcements on an ongoing and extremely delicate case so I’m shouldering the responsibility of informing the public,” he said.