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Muscat Saying Daphne’s Murder Investigation Will End In ‘A Few Hours’ Is Deeply Worrying. Here’s Why.

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Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is keeping very quiet since he granted a Presidential Pardon (without consulting Cabinet) to the suspected middleman in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder.

However, while this middleman Melvin Theuma prepares to give his statement to the magistrate today, Muscat said he will start commenting again once the investigation is over.

Significantly, he added this: “Hopefully in the next few hours.”

Why is this important?

Because only one thing is going to happen in the next few hours. Theuma, the man to whom Muscat granted a pardon, will be giving a sworn statement to the inquiring Magistrate.

Once this is done, arraignments are likely to take place.

The problem is this: The pardon was given when Keith Schembri was Muscat’s Chief of Staff.

Muscat has been protecting his best friend for more than three years.

And today it emerged that he was retained as Chief of Staff even while Muscat knew one of Schembri’s closest business associates was the prime suspect in the murder investigation.

But why will Theuma’s testimony allow Muscat to start commenting again?

It is likely that Theuma will not mention Schembri even though his name features in conversations Theuma recorded with prime suspect Yorgen Fenech, after the murder when he was fearing being shafted or killed. 

Meanwhile, Fenech – who requested his own pardon to reveal Schembri’s involvement in the murder – is now likely to be discarded without a pardon following Theuma’s testimony.

Once that happens, Muscat will start to address the media frequently again. He will likely say that the investigation is closed and the mastermind and the bombers will now face their day in court. Case closed.

What about Schembri? Theoretically, he could then be reappointed as Chief of Staff and rehabilitated into the party, together with former ministers Konrad Mizzi and Chris Cardona. Stranger things have happened.

This, despite the information that emerged yesterday that Schembri was trying to influence Fenech’s testimony through secret messages sent by their mutual doctor Adrian Vella. At most, Vella’s statement will be used to charge Schembri with obstruction of justice, which will be further strengthened by the call Fenech made to Schembri before trying to flee Malta on his yacht.

Today it emerges that Vella will be changing lawyers after he yesterday allegedly admitted to investigators that he was being used by Schembri to send messages to Fenech.

There seems to be a plan to exculpate Schembri – and by association, Muscat – from the murder and its coverup. And by retaining his position as Prime Minister and granter of pardons Muscat is able to see this plan through.

At the very least, Muscat’s presence in this investigation could compromise the case to the point that Fenech’s lawyers are likely to mount a legal challenge against him upon refusal of pardon.

Former European Court of Human Rights Judge Giovanni Bonello has already pointed to a lacuna in the law where Malta’s Constitution “never contemplated that the person who recommends the immunity from prosecution could allegedly be close to the person who might be suspected or accused of criminal wrongdoing”.

The next few hours will be crucial. Watch this space. 

READ NEXT: Here’s Why The Prime Minister Will Come Under Fresh Pressure To Resign Over The Next 48 Hours

Christian is an award-winning journalist and entrepreneur who founded Lovin Malta, a new media company dedicated to creating positive impact in society. He is passionate about justice, public finances and finding ways to build a better future.

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