Repubblika has told Prime Minister Robert Abela to either deny the allegation that he had directed senior police figures not to interrogate individuals mentioned in the Vitals inquiry, or resign.

The rule of law NGO referred to a story publisher in MaltaToday. The article read that Labour Party insiders, "who include senior cabinet ministers, said that the gravest mistake of all was the decision to derail an investigation by the police into those individuals mentioned in the conclusions of the hospital's inquiry. They explained how he had directed senior police figures to not interrogate individuals mentioned in the inquiry, and instead have them all be charged in court, to ensure former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is not seen as the sole figure behind the fraudulent deal."

Reacting to the article, Repubblika said that it is "not shocked with this allegation as we have long been saying that the police and Attorney General's decisions in cases of corruption do not make legal or logical sense, but only make sense as they would align with the government or PL."

"But we are shocked to see government ministers giving testimony to journalists that they know that the police acted on the explicit direction of the Prime Minister. In criminal cases, the Prime Minister has no right to give any instructions to the police. Even more so when his friends are suspected of the crimes that are being investigated. These senior ministers are describing a clear abuse of power, illegal actions of a Prime Minister to protect his criminal friends."

"While we criticise these minister who, despite being witnesses to abusive and illegal actions, hide behind anonymity, we ask the prime minister to deny the allegation that he gave instructions to the police as to who they are to interrogate or not, and who is to be taken to court or not. If he does not do that, he has to resign."