Four pressure groups have come out in favour of Jonathan Ferris's request for whistleblower status, after it emerged that the FIAU official has once again sought recourse before the courts.

Civil Society Network, Occupy Justice, il-Kenniesa and l-Awturi said it is vital that the Maltese state establishes without delay the whole truth with regards to all alleged abuses, not only in respect of those allegations which would result in an advantage for the government of the day if prosecuted.

Mr Ferris claims he has been fired from the government’s anti-money laundering agency after he started to look into reports by Daphne Caruana Galizia about allegations that the Panama company Egrant was owned by Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s wife. Both the Prime Minister and Ms Muscat reject the allegations.

Read: Jonathan Ferris files second protest calling for whistleblower status

The four NGOs maintained that the Maltese deserve that their public institutions really function in the interest of the common good and that they do whatever is necessary to guarantee the rule of law.

They accused the public institutions of allowing a culture of impunity to develop in the years preceding the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, and that after her murder they have not shown the appropriate determination in making sure that justice is achieved.

The four groups reminded the public that after the 2013 general elections the spouse of a member of the government was placed, and to date still serves, as a member of the board of governors of the FIAU, and is also directly involved in the investigations related to the assassination of Ms Caruana Galizia.

"In the opinion of the four organizations, all this gives rise to an evident conflict of interest which is undoubtedly unacceptable in an evolved democracy, and discourages those who hold important knowledge from offering their collaboration to the Maltese public authorities in the fight against criminality."