Opposition Leader Adrian Delia has told the Prime Minister that the Opposition is willing to postpone Parliament’s summer recess so as to discuss and vote on a motion on the setting up of a public inquiry into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Last week, Foreign Affairs Minister Carmelo Abela said the government would honour a Council of Europe recommendation to launch a public inquiry into the journalist’s murder within a three-month timeframe.

But the Office of the Prime Minister later said that what Abela had said was in line with comments made previously by PM Joseph Muscat. The PM had said that he would be seeking legal advice but that the Attorney Generla had advised against holding a public inquiry while the criminal investigation is ongoing.

In his letter to the PM, a copy of which was sent to the press, Delia pointed out that there have been numerous calls for a public inquiry, including by the Venice Commission and the Caruana Galizia family. Delia noted that, in 2018 he had also presented a motion calling for a Board of Inquiry to be set up. The aim of this inquiry would be to see whether the authorities were aware of any risk to the journalist’s life and whether adequate measures were taken to prevent the murder.

Instead of approving the motion, the government had amended it into one that discarded the idea of an inquiry and boasted about the government’s efforts, Delia said.

The government was going against the national interest and was also breaching the Caruana Galizia family’s fundamental human rights.

Delia said he was once again reminding the PM about the importance of a public inquiry, saying that it was in the country’s interest to find out all the facts. While Parliament is set to be adjourned until 7 October, the Opposition was willing to postpone the summer recess and debate a motion on the setting up of such an inquiry, Delia said.