Simon Busuttil says he is 'one of the few left standing' and now fears for his life

Simon Busuttil has said that, after Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder, he now fears for his life and for his family’s security.

Speaking to the euobserver on the ten-month anniversary of the journalist’s killing, the former Opposition leader said he was “one of the few left standing”, and that this was the reason that the campaign against him was so strong.

"I feel there is a risk because of Daphne, if Daphne had not happened, I would not fear for my life," he was quoted as saying.

The online newspaper noted how there were now internet memes making the rounds which depicted Busuttil as being buried, his partner in mourning by his side, and Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi and the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Keith Schembri gloating over his death.

Busuttil said that, following the publication of the conclusions of Magistrate Aaron Bugeja’s Egrant inquiry, the Prime Minister was now “drip feeding information” from the full report.

A meme, currently circulating on the internet, depicting Busuttil as being buried, with his partner in mourning and Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri gloating over his death

He also told the euobserver that Joseph Muscat’s government was ripping democracy and the rule of law apart, and that all the country’s important institutions, including the police force, had been institutionally captured.

"It is getting to a point where they are steadily and slowly taking over the judiciary,” he said, making reference to the Attorney General’s appeal to a constitutional ruling which had upheld his (Busuttil’s) request for Judge Antonio Mizzi to recuse himself from the Panama Papers inquiry.

Busuttil playing “perilous politics” - MEP Miriam Dalli

Labour Party MEP Miriam Dalli, reacting on Facebook to Busuttil’s interview, said the Nationalist MP was playing at “perilous politics” which had the “ultimate aim of trying to harm our country’s reputation at all costs”.

She said Busuttil was “the same man who promoted a lie about Egrant, who lied about the Prime Minister and his wife, and who tried to bring a country into crisis.”