Equality and European Affairs Minister Helena Dalli said on Tuesday that currently she had “no opinion” on the latest 17 Black media reports.

“My personal opinion will come out once we have the outcome of the inquiry,” Dr Dalli said.

“What do I have to do with all of this,” the minister replied when pressed on whether she had confidence in fellow minister Konrad Mizzi and the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, Keith Schembri.

A joint investigation by Times of Malta and Reuters found that Dubai company 17 Black is owned by power station investor Yorgen Fenech, the CEO of Tumas Group.

According to a leaked e-mail, Mr Schembri and Dr Mizzi planned to receive payments of $2 million from the Dubai company and from another company, Macbridge, whose owner re-mains unknown.

Finance Minister Edward Scicluna took a similar stand when approached about the matter. He refused to comment on whether Mr Schembri and Dr Mizzi should step down, saying he would not express “any opinion whatsoever” on the matter.

The reports on 17 Black have raised concern in EU institutions, with Dutch MEP Sophia in’t Veld calling for Dr Mizzi and Mr Schembri to step down. Asked whether she was worried this could affect Malta’s relations with Brussels, Dr Dalli said she could not look into the future.

“Am I Nostradamus?” she asked.

The minister would not comment either on whether she be-lieved people still trusted Mr Schembri and Dr Mizzi. “Who am I to say who the people still trust? Konrad Mizzi was elected and is now a minister,” Dr Dalli said, adding “I think they must have had trust in him if they elected him.”

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