Updated at 7pm with Minister's reply to Opposition leader during evening sitting

Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia said some people had already approached the police in connection with the ongoing investigation into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia but invited anybody with information to step forward.

Speaking in Parliament, he said his ministry had given the police a blank cheque to conduct an investigation as they saw fit, as he expressed his confidence in their abilities, amid mounting criticism of the corps.

Although the government was not afraid of taking any necessary steps, he expressed his disappointment at the fact that he had not found the Opposition’s cooperation.

Monday’s attack, he said, was an attack on the Maltese state, and the underworld that was attacking Maltese society needed to be faced by a united Maltese people.

Dr Farrugia added that, apart from the attack on the right to free speech perpetrated on Monday, another attack was under way: that on the police corps, a crucial institution, which was being attacked by the Opposition.

The Opposition's attack was directed towards the corps as a whole not just towards its leadership, as former PN leader Simon Busuttil had himself alleged that the corps was rotten “from head to toe”.

Although he was not yet happy, he noted that crime this year was down four per cent and that it was continuing to improve.

During the evening sitting, Opposition leader Adrian Delia asked Dr Farrugia whether he was satisfied with the crime conference given yesterday by the police commissioner.

Dr Farrugia said he had “full confidence” in the ability of the current commissioner to see all pending cases through, and the same applied to other officials working on the investigation.

The police had approached Dutch and other experts of their own initiative to supplement their skills, and his role was to negotiate with foreign governments to bring them here.

The Minister added that the government had no objection to the EPP’s suggestion that the proceedings be observed independently. The police would work with any experts who wished to observe the proceedings.

However, politicians would not be allowed to make direct contact with investigators, he said.

Replying to another question, the minister said the police officer who posted celebratory comments on Facebook had been suspended and would appear before the Public Service Commission.

Adrian Delia is the fakest leader of the Opposition we’ve ever had- Robert Abela

Labour MP Robert Abela also expressed his concern at the fact that the generally accepted principle that institutions should not attack one another was being violated.

He said that Adrian Delia was “the fakest leader of the Opposition we’ve ever had,” and that everyone was curious about what Ms Caruana Galizia knew about him.

He agreed with Dr Delia, however, that Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera should not be involved in the investigation into Ms Caruana Galizia’s assassination.

PN deputy leader contender Edwin Vassallo said there were people who suspected that the investigation into Ms Caruana Galizia’s murder was motivated by the fact that the State wanted to know the identity of her sources.

Opposition deputy leader Mario de Marco spoke on what Dr Farrugia had earlier described as the Opposition's attack on the country's institutions and said that officials such as the Attorney General were failing to fulfil their duty.

He did not intend to imply that the “normal” members of the police corps, who did their duty, were to blame for the decisions of their leadership. The Opposition’s job was now to make sure that justice was sought for Ms Caruana Galizia’s death, he said.

Finance Minister Edward Scicluna said that the words “crooks are everywhere you look” did not refer exclusively to the Labour Party. The international solidarity expressed in the wake of the journalist’s death had been exploited by “selfish, hypocritical politicians”.

He criticised the “crass hypocrisy” of PN MPs’ speeches and writings in the past few days, and remarked that dozens of bombs had plagued the country in the 1980s, only to stop abruptly upon the PN’s accession to power.

The PM had demonstrated an awareness of the delicate nature of the situation, but the PN leader had not risen to the occasion, sowing division instead of cautioning prudence.

Speaking to the BBC this evening, Prof. Scicluna said the investigations were more difficult because no one had claimed ownership for the murder.

Asked whether he believed the Prime Minister should resign he replied "now is not the time to play politics".

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