Caruana Galizia murder | Joseph Muscat says he is not privy to investigations

Joseph Muscat has insisted that he is not privy to police investigations into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, a day after media reports suggested that the mastermind could be “a businessman”.

The Prime Minister would not be drawn into commenting on the story that appeared in The Sunday Times of Malta yesterday, which was followed by other reports on Manuel Delia’s blog.

“I am not privy to police investigations but even if I have details, I won’t speak about them because in situations like these the only persons to benefit from such information are the suspects themselves,” Muscat said when asked about the reports during a visit at MCAST’s Freshers’ Week.

Muscat said that he had “absolute trust in the police”, when asked about the claim that neither of the prime suspects behind the murder had been questioned investigators.

“I respect the fact that the media writes articles that give information but without entering into the merits of the information divulged – it is the newspaper and the journalists who shoulder responsibility for that information – as Prime Minister I have to be careful not to reflect on any of the content,” Muscat insisted.

The Sunday Times of Malta reported that a “major businessman” is among the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder suspects.

The newspaper reported that investigators had three “potential key suspects” as having been the masterminds behind the assassination.

The businessman, who is one of the three, was reportedly being investigated by Caruana Galizia before she was murdered in a car bomb explosion on 16 October 2017.

The newspaper quoted unnamed sources close to the investigation that the other two men are connected with the gambling scene and smuggling.

Three men have been charged with the journalist’s murder but it is widely believed they were following somebody else’s orders.

Brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio, and Vincent Muscat, have been charged with planting the bomb inside Caruana Galizia’s car and setting it off.