[WATCH] Grech: Abela worried, resorts to personal attacks after Muscat raid

Nationalist leader Bernard Grech said Prime Minister Robert Abela looked worried and resorted to personal attacks, when reacting to news of Joseph Muscat’s home raid on Wednesday.

“The story is that in a first for the country, a former prime minister had a search carried out at his home. I leave the work to the Magistrate but the story is that Prime Minister Robert Abela is worried and is not able to carry out his work […] He looked evidently worried when he attacked me,” Grech stated.

Former PM Joseph Muscat’s residence was searched by police from the Financial Crimes Investigation Department, as part of a corruption probe into the Vitals Global Healthcare hospitals deal.

On Wednesday Muscat also said he knew about the raid beforehand in comments made to the media.

When asked whether his comments, where he alleged that Abela wanted to humiliate Muscat were appropriate, Grech deflected by saying the PM should exercise political maturity.

“I remain a firm believer that the institutions should rise to the occasion. They are the only guarantee, apart from the PN, for this country move forward.”

Asked whether he believes an investigation should be carried out to determine whether Muscat was tipped on the raid, Grech argued that police should carry out investigations, as per their duty.

On Thursday, PM Robert Abela evaded questioning on whether he was forewarned about plans by the police to search Joseph Muscat’s home.

"I think you better ask that to Jason Azzopardi,” Abela said when he was asked whether he knew about the raid. “Now we understand clearly what he wrote publicly last Sunday on social media, when he had no problem revealing that he knew what was going to happen."

READ ALSO: Prime Minister reacts to Joseph Muscat police raid: ‘Institutions have to safeguard trust placed in them’