Member of the European Parliament Assita Kanko speaks during a press conference in Valletta, Malta, on Dec. 4, 2019. A European Parliament delegation expressed on Wednesday its concern at Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's decision not to resign immediately, saying there were doubts on the integrity of the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation. (Photo by Jonathan Borg/Xinhua)
VALLETTA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- A European Parliament delegation expressed on Wednesday its concern at Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's decision not to resign immediately, saying there were doubts on the integrity of the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation.
"We are very concerned with what he have heard and seen," Dutch member of the European Parliament (MEP) Sophie in 't Veld said. "There is serious pressure on the rule of law. We have serious concerns about Muscat remaining in office. The next 40 days will be crucial. There has to be absolute confidence in the office and while he is there, there isn't."
In 't Veld is leading a high-level European Parliament delegation, which came to Malta after reports emerged of alleged links between investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder in October 2017 and members of Muscat's administration.
"It is up to him (Muscat) to see whether or not he still enjoys a majority which is supporting him, but people and Europe have serious concerns about Joseph Muscat staying in office, concerns related to the integrity of the murder investigation," in 't Veld said.
"There must be absolute confidence in the integrity of the investigation. When Muscat is still in office, this confidence is not there," she said.
She said that the name of the prime minister's former chief of staff, Keith Schembri, was being mentioned in the murder investigation and in stories of corruption and money laundering. "Muscat was either incredibly naive to keep him or he is somehow implicated," in 't Veld said.
Greek MEP Stelios Kouloglou said that Malta deserved better and that the government's refusal to launch an independent public inquiry into the journalist's murder was "extremely worrying."
"We cannot trust this administration and the office of the prime minister if he continues to stay in power, because there is fear that some evidence is destroyed," he said.
Businessman Yorgen Fenech, who has been charged with complicity in the murder, had business links with Schembri through his offshore company 17 Black. Schembri was arrested for questioning but released without charge, with the police saying they had no evidence to detain or charge him.
In 't Veld said that the murder investigation had made "considerable progress" but other investigations into possible money laundering and corruption had either not started or were not being conducted very vigorously.
