NGO Repubblika has again called for the resignation or removal of Attorney General Victoria Buttigieg.

It is unacceptable that “a court finds that two lawyers tried to bribe a journalist… but cannot be found guilty” because of a mistake committed by the AG, Repubblika said.

A journalist said that he had been bribed, the police investigated the matter and charged the alleged perpetrators in court, but the AG submitted “the wrong accusation”, leading to the perpetrators to walk free, the NGO said.

These are not mistakes, the NGO said.

"It is unacceptable that the government remains silent on this. The rule of law means that everyone is equal before the law, and responsibility must be shouldered," Repubblika said.

"Parliament has the tools to address these situations if the AG does not resign of her own free will. Otherwise, Parliament would be confirming that there are laws for the gods, and laws for the animals."

The statement is in reaction to Yorgen Fenech’s lawyers being cleared of trying to bribe a journalist after the magistrate responsible for the case said that the Attorney General’s office had failed to specify the relevant type of bribery.

The judgement was delivered on Monday in the case involving lawyers Gianluca Caruana Curran and Charles Mercieca who were accused of trying to bribe Times of Malta journalist Ivan Martin.