Repubblika on Wednesday said that the 17 Black case proves why citizens' right to request an inquiry must not be removed, adding that under the new government proposed law, the prosecution of senior government officials and businessmen would not have been possible.

In a statement, Repubblika referred to earlier Wednesday morning when former chief-of-staff Keith Schembri and former minister Konrad Mizzi pleaded not guilty after being charged by summons over plans to receive money from Dubai company 17 Black owned by Yorgen Fenech, who has also been charged.

All those accused pled not guilty.

Repubblika said that the prosecution has finally begun against "Ministers and senior government officials who allegedly took bribes, the "businessmen" who allegedly bribed them, and the "professionals" who allegedly orchestrated one of the biggest thefts ever carried out at the expense of ordinary Maltese citizens."

It said that this scandal started in February 2016, when it was first reported by journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

"We have known about this serious crime for nine whole years. For nine years, the police did nothing because they did not want to trouble people with political power and vast financial resources," Repubblika said.

It continued that in July 2017, after 17 months of waiting for police to take action, then-Opposition Leader Simon Busuttil went to court and requested a magisterial inquiry.

It was only in September 2018, 31 months after Caruana Galizia's reports, that the police finally decided to ask a magistrate to open an inquiry.

"It is important to remember that no evidence can be collected for prosecution before an inquiry begins. This meant lost time, working against the state's ability to bring criminals to justice," Repubblika said, encouraging prosecutors and judiciary handling the case.

Repubblika said that at the same time, it must insist on the right to demand that state institutions to always do their job.

It said that the police must not hesitate to investigate and charge criminals, regardless of their political power or financial influence.

When institutions fail, it is people's duty to use every legal means available to ensure that justice is still served, it said.

Repubblika said that in this case, the law gave citizens the right to request a magisterial inquiry when the police failed to do so.

"This is why we stress that, under the new law the government wants to introduce, this prosecution would not have been possible," Repubblika said.

"The government is wrong to strip us of a right that has proven to be a crucial tool in ensuring that the rule of law prevails, rather than the bullies who were taken to court today," Repubblika said.

It said that it will remind them of their objection through a protest in Valletta on Sunday, 16 February 16, at 4pm, urging all citizens to join.

The inquiry had been requested by former PN leader Simon Busuttil and PN MEP David Casa. According to information revealed in the Panama Papers leak, 17 Black was listed as one of the "target clients" for Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi's once-secret Panama companies. In 2018, it was revealed by Times of Malta and Reuters that 17 Black was owned by Yorgen Fenech, who was a shareholder in the Electrogas consortium that won a multi-million-euro gas power station tender.