(Adds PL's statement)
Edgar Galea Curmi, the head of the prime minister's secretariat, insisted today that he did nothing wrong when last Friday he phoned Police Commissioner John Rizzo about the arrest of Chris Engerer, Cyrus Engerer's father.
Speaking to timesofmalta.com Mr Galea Curmi said he had not discussed the investigation or Mr Engerer's arrest.
"I phoned the Commissioner after Cyrus Engerer told me that his lawyer warned him that his father's arrest would be linked to his resignation from the PN. He even told me that Super One were preparing a story on those lines.
"This was a serious allegation and I phoned the Commissioner to seek an assurance that no one from the government had put this sort of pressure on the police. This is a matter of administration. It would have been wrong had I actually not phoned the Commissioner to make sure there was no political pressure," Mr Galea Curmi said.
He said the Commissioner had assured him that the investigation was in no way related to Cyrus Engerer's resignation from the PN. At his press conference yesterday, the Commissioner had confirmed this once more. (see video above.)
Asked why he had asked the Commissioner to speak to Mr Engerer's lawyer, Mr Galea Curmi said there was nothing wrong in this either. Lawyers, he said, spoke with the police all the time, and this had nothing to do with the investigation. He however respected the Commissioner's decision not to speak to Mr Engerer's lawyer.
When questioned about why he had taken it upon himself to speak directly to the Commissioner, instead of going through the Ministry of Home Affairs, Mr Galea Curmi said the Commissioner and himself communicated on administrative matters.
"Whenever the Commissioner needs to speak to the Prime Minister, he phones me. But in the seven years that I have been here, I never once spoke to the Commissioner on any investigation," Mr Galea Curmi said.
Referring to Joseph Muscat's call for his resignation, Mr Galea Curmi said he still could not understand on what grounds the demand had been made by Dr Muscat.
"Joseph Muscat first accused us of persecuting Cyrus Engerer, and then he seems to be accusing me of protecting him. The two are not compatible, and we did neither of them," Mr Galea Curmi said.
"I spoke to the Commissioner on an administrative matter, not an investigation. Of course, the situation would have been different had I spoken to the investigating officers or those directly linked to the investigation. But I didn't. Nor did I discuss Mr (Chris) Engerer's arrest or possible charges, Mr Galea Curmi insisted.
He said that when he spoke to the commissioner, he did not know that Cyrus Engerer himself was under investigation.
Mr Galea Curmi said he did not intend stepping down, and the prime minister had not asked him to.
Prime Minister lost direction - PL
The Labour Party this evening insisted that there was political interference by Mr Galea Curmi, the person the Prime Minister trusted the most.
Mr Galea Curmi, the PL said, had admitted he called the Police Commissioner to ask about criminal charges, and asked him to do something, which the Commissioner said he could not do.
The Prime Minister appointed an inquiry to cover himself but he set the terms of reference himself and appointed to head the inquiry a person who, in the 12 years he had been administering the Commission Against Corruption, never found any trace of corruption in Malta.
The Prime Minister had lost direction, the PL said.