The U.S. Embassy's offer, relating to their statement on October 2019 over the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, is still valid and still awaits an answer from the Maltese government, the Partit Demokratiku (PD) said on Sunday.
The US Embassy's statement had read: "We stand ready to support the investigation in any way we can, if requested by Maltese authorities" and "it is not too late for Malta to bring Daphne's killers to justice in a credible manner".
The PD said that it is the duty of the authorities to do everything within their power to ensure justice is done and is seen to be done. "Therefore, there can be excuse to ignore this assistance."
The Partit Demokratiku appealed to the government to allow the new Police Commissioner, Angelo Gafà, to benefit from all the possible resources needed to ensure truth and justice are carried out.
"In a court testimony, acting Police Commissioner Magri stated that the FBI were no longer involved in investigations, but he does not know why. He also claimed the Police previously lacked adequate resources to conduct investigations into the Panama Papers. Therefore, one must ask, why were the FBI removed from the investigations in the first place?," the PD asked.
"If Malta is to salvage its economy, its reputation and ensure the wellbeing and rights of its citizens are upheld, then it should accept the U.S. Embassy's offer of assistance. The reputational damage which Malta has suffered due to the assassination can hardly be measured. However, a legal advisor in the U.S. Embassy has warned that Malta is unlikely to pass the Moneyval test. Former FIAU director Manfred Galdes has also claimed that Malta failing the Moneyval test 'is inevitable'. This is due in no small part to the lack of investigations and prosecutions for financial crimes - and it was investigation into financial crime which led to Daphne Caruana Galizia's assassination and brought the world's attention on Malta. Resolving this case in a credible manner is key to restoring the country's reputation."
The Maltese authorities have a solemn duty to immediately reach out to the U.S. Embassy with a positive reply, the PD said. "A failure to do so can only mean that there is an ongoing cover-up. Let us salvage our nation while there is still time."