Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia has asked for an explanation after it was revealed that the mobile phone used by Keith Schembri was reactivated.

The PN media on Monday evening reported that Schembri was “live” again on his mobile connection, a few hours after Robert Abela took an oath of office to serve as Malta’s Prime Minister.

Net News said it was informed that, at the same time, a number of other Labour Party MPs were on “Signal” at the same time, including Clayton Bartolo.

Last month, it was stated in court that the police had been unable to locate the phone belonging to Schembri. The former chief of staff had informed the police that his phone had gone missing. Schembri was arrested and questioned in connection with the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, and this later led to the resignation of the then prime minister, Joseph Muscat.

Testifying in court, lead investigator Keith Arnaud had said that Schembri had told the police that the phone had gone missing. The phone could provide police with important information in their investigations.

Reacting to the news that Schembri’s phone had been reactivated, Delia asked for an explanation to be given by Abela. “Continuity”, he wrote, in reference to a new buzzword that has been widely used in the transition between Joseph Muscat and Robert Abela. “We need an explanation”.