Home Affairs Minister Michael Farrugia on Thursday declined to comment on reports that the three men accused of murdering journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia were tipped off prior to their arrest.

The Daphne Project has reported that the police believed the murder suspects were informed about their impending arrest prior to a raid last December.

Dr Farrugia insisted he would not discuss the investigation when asked about the matter, adding that members of the journalist's family had warned him they would hold him responsible if he divulged any information about the murder probe.

Read: 'No politicians interviewed in Caruana Galizia murder probe'

"I'm threatened by the family that if I divulge anything about the investigation I will be held liable and they will accuse me of interfering and will expose myself to five years in prison,” Dr Farrugia replied when asked whether he had looked into the recent reports.

They will accuse me of interfering and will expose myself to five years in prison

The police arrested 10 people last December, three of whom – brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio, along with Vincent Muscat – were eventually charged with carrying out the car bombing. The men deny the charges.

The slain journalist's family warned the minister last November that a statement he had made in parliament about the investigation could be grounds for criminal action against him.

At the time, Dr Farrugia dismissed the warning, saying it interfered with his ministerial and parliamentary responsibilities and could be considered a breach of parliamentary privilege.

He insisted that what he had said in the House and which the family had objected to related to information already in the public domain.

Dr Farrugia was asked whether he had discussed the report about the tip-off with Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar but he refused to reply and instead walked away.