Updated 5.45pm with EPP reaction
The son of slain journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia on Thursday urged MEPs to keep up the pressure on the Maltese government as he claimed that Malta is "toxifying" European politics.
"Our mother is dead but her work will continue through your work. Don't let anyone tell you it's none of your business... this is not just about my mother's murder," Andrew Caruana Galizia told the European Parliament in Brussels.
Members of the European Parliament slammed Malta's rule of law in an intense hour-long discussion within the Civil Liberties Committee. The majority of MEPs gave a bleak picture of the rule of law in Malta with many describing it as a hub for money laundering where criminals were allowed to act with impunity.
Read: Malta's rule of law, culture of 'impunity' slammed in MEP debate
Mr Caruana Galizia was allowed to speak after Greens MEP Sven Giegold ceded his speaking time.
In a short intervention, he told the MEPs present that the debate is not just about politics.
We have nobody representing us in our country, at least not through the leadership of the parties
"We have nobody representing us in our country, at least not through the leadership of the parties. It's about European law. Malta has become a place of crime, where money is laundered. It's toxifying European politics. Malta is the backdoor in the Schengen area. There are no background checks on those buying passports. Don't lose heart. You're filling part the shoes of my mother," Mr Caruana Galizia said.
His remarks were evidently in reply to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat who had said that the MEPs who drafted a damning report about Malta had already decided what they were going to say before they even landed on the island.
Watch: 'We take our decisions': Muscat dismisses MEP calls for dismissals
His comments were preceded by Justice Minister Owen Bonnici who chronicled the initiatives taken by the Labour government to enforce rule of law.
The minister said he regretted that MEPs are not taking account of the significant reforms adopted by the Maltese government to address corruption and assured them that all serious allegations are being investigated.
“It is completely false that this government has put the rule of law in the dustbin... What you're portraying today is not the real picture of Malta," Dr Bonnici told the chamber, and urged critical Socialist MEP Ana Gomes to check her facts before making claims about giving protection to a whistleblower.
Bonnici's speech a 'disgrace' - EPP
Dr Bonnici's performance was described by the European People's Party as a disgrace and a purely diversionary tactic.
The former Chair of the Committee of Inquiry into Money Laundering, Tax Avoidance and Tax Evasion Werner Langen, said: “In his answers, Owen Bonnici revealed his refusal to listen and his superficiality. He lacks the will to uncover the deplorable state of Malta’s legal system. In the presence of two sons of murdered Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, he even denied the results that were published following a visit by a delegation of the European Parliament."
In a statement on Thursday afternoon, the EPP said the need for reforms to protect the rule of law in Malta is more evident than ever.
"The EPP Group will continue to insist that politicians who are found to be involved in cases of corruption and money laundering take responsibility for their actions, and that the course of justice should leave no stone unturned."
It said the European Commission must now be active and present a comprehensive report on the legal situation in Malta as soon as possible.