Malta's Prime Minister to resign next month amid protest over Caruana Galizia probe

Joseph Muscat will quit as leader of the Labour Party on January 12

FILE PHOTO: Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat addresses a press conference after an urgent Cabinet meeting at the Auberge de Castille in Valletta, Malta November 29, 2019. REUTERS/Yara Nardi/File Photo
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Malta’s Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat, says he will resign in January after pressure from the public for the truth about the 2017 car bombing that killed a journalist.

In a televised message on Sunday night, Mr Muscat said he had told Malta's president that he would quit as leader of the governing Labour Party on January 12.

“In the days after I will resign as prime minister," he said.

Earlier on Sunday, Mr Muscat won his party's backing to stay on despite protesters calling for him to quit over his handling of the investigation into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Mr Muscat won the unanimous backing of Labour MPs at an emergency meeting, called a day after tycoon Yorgen Fenech was charged with complicity in the murder. A court has also frozen Mr Fenech’s assets.

The MPs also agreed to reinstate Chris Cardona as Economy Minister and deputy leader.

Mr Cardona announced last week that he was suspending himself as the investigation into the killing of Caruana Galizia implicated top government officials

Critics including members of Caruana Galizia's family have accused Mr Muscat, 45, of protecting those involved in murdering the popular journalist and blogger, who exposed corruption among Malta’s political and business elite.

Last week, the scandal caused Mr Muscat's chief of staff Keith Schembri and the tourism minister, Konrad Mizzi, to resign.

Police sources said Mr Fenech had identified Mr Schembri as the "real mastermind" behind the killing.

Caruana Galizia, described as a "one-woman WikiLeaks", accused Mr Schembri of corruption, along with Mr Mizzi and Mr Cardona.

Her family and thousands of protesters have repeatedly taken to the streets calling for Mr Muscat's resignation.

Last week, the Council of Europe's special rapporteur, Pieter Omtzigt, also called on the prime minister to step down "at the earliest possible opportunity".

But until Sunday night, Mr Muscat said he would remain in power until the case was closed.

On Saturday, party insiders told AFP that Mr Muscat was ready to go when those behind the killing had been charged.

The Labour Party would then elect his successor on January 18.

“The prime minister has said from the outset that he will leave no stone unturned to solve this despicable murder under his watch, and he delivered exactly that with the arraignment of someone who is believed to have commissioned the murder,” a party insider said.

Leaked emails revealed in court indicated that Mr Schembri and Mr Mizzi stood to receive payments from a company called 17 Black, owned by Mr Fenech.

The murder probe gained momentum after last week's arrest of the tycoon, whose business interests are in energy, casinos and tourism sectors.

His detention came after an alleged middleman in the murder, taxi driver Melvin Theuma, was offered immunity in exchange for identifying others who were involved.

Although Mr Schembri was arrested on Tuesday, his release on Thursday sparked accusations of a cover-up.

Anti-government protesters were set to hold fresh rallies outside the Parliament in Valletta on Sunday.

A Maltese court is expected to rule on Monday on a request by Mr Fenech for the chief investigator in the case, Keith Arnaud, to be removed amid allegations that he also had close ties to Mr Schembri and the prime minister.