The UK has approved the appointment of former minister and Labour MP Manuel Mallia has Malta’s next UK High Commissioner, as per multiple reports.

Mallia succeeds career diplomat Joseph Cole in the role, having been approved by the British foreign office.

It was understood that the British had concerns over Mallia’s appointment to the role, however any such concerns seem to have been allayed after the former PL MP was approved in his post.

First elected in 2013, Mallia initially served as Home Affairs Minister – a role he was forced to step down from by then Prime Minister Joseph Muscat after a shooting involving his driver was covered up – and as Minister for competitiveness.

Mallia stepped down as an MP in July.

He later threatened author Mark Camilleri with a libel suit over his newly published book, which alleged that Mallia “also participated in the abetting and covering up of the money laundering in the illegal oil smuggling business.”

Camilleri had said that the former police minister had threatened to sue him for libel. He published a screenshot of an email he received from the former minister, in which Mallia said the allegations made against him are “false, baseless and unfounded.” Mallia requested that Camilleri withdraw these allegations.

But in a reply to the former minister’s email, Camilleri thanked Mallia for his “interest” and advised him to go ahead with any legal action he plans to take.

Mallia has not followed through with his threat thus far.