Prime Minister Joseph Muscat is in the coming days expected to meet Dutch MP Pieter Omtzigt who is in Malta on a three-day mission as Council of Europe rapporteur monitoring investigations into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Times of Malta is informed that Mr Omtzigt, whose mandate also includes looking into the state of the rule of law in Malta, will meet Dr Muscat and Justice Minister Owen Bonnici.
According to sources, the rapporteur sent separate invites to the pair but they have informed him they will be meeting him together.
Last month, Dr Bonnici refused to meet with MEPs on a similar mission alone and instead sat down with the delegation together with Deputy Prime Minister Chris Fearne and Finance Minister Edward Scicluna.
They will be meeting him together
Mr Omtzigt is also expected to meet with Attorney General Peter Grech, Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar, the head of the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit, Kenneth Farrugia, Chief Justice Joseph Azzopardi and journalists.
Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi will not meet with Mr Omtzigt, telling the Times of Malta he was “unavailable” for a meeting.
No explanation was given.
Dr Mizzi faced EU officials in February 2017, when, during a discussion with MEPs about his once-secret Panama company, he claimed he was a victim of “fake news”.
Times of Malta is also informed that Economy Minister Chris Cardona, who has been in the headlines in recent weeks after alleged links between him and one of the men accused of the murder of Ms Caruana Galizia, reported by the Daphne Project, will not be meeting the rapporteur despite also being invited.