The Opposition this afternoon walked out of Parliament after Prime Minister Joseph Muscat did not answer questions on whether he was going to dismiss Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri from their respective positions.

At the start of the session, Muscat said that he was willing to put himself under the scrutiny of Parliament following today’s development, which saw a leading businessman arrested by the police while he was on a yacht which had just left the marina.

But he said that this cannot happen today as the investigations were still ongoing. When the time comes, the PM said, he would be ready to say what he has been holding close to his chest for the last two years, since journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated.

PN deputy leader Robert Arrigo – leader Adrian Delia is abroad on party duty – asked Muscat whether Konrad Mizzi and Schembri will be removed from their position as Tourism Minister and Chief of Staff following Yorgen Fenech’s arrest.

Muscat did not give a straight answer, saying that he will not be abdicating from his responsibility and, instead, like he has always done, will be shouldering it. He said that what happened today shows that the country’s institutions were functioning well. “We all want justice,” he said.

What happened today is a result of the work the government has done. Muscat said that time and time again he has been asked to resign himself but he will continue to provide direction and take responsibility for the country. “When push comes to shove the institutions do their work.”

Arrigo asked the same question a second time and when the PM did not reply to it directly, Arrigo gave notice that the Opposition was walking out.