Robert Abela’s reluctance to get rid of Chris Cardona as deputy leader of the Labour Party suggests that the prime minister is being hostage by hidden interests, the Nationalist Party said on Friday.

Cardona has been implicated in the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia by self-confessed middleman Melvin Theuma, who on Friday again mentioned the former minister’s name while testifying.

Theuma has been promised immunity from prosecution in exchange for testimony in the case. Cardona has said the middleman is lying and insisted he has nothing to do with Caruana Galizia's murder. 

Abela left Cardona out of cabinet when he rose to power in January but has so far kept him on as one of the PL’s two deputies. The prime minister has said that he is watching developments in the case closely but declined to make any further moves.

In a statement on Friday, Nationalist Party MP Karol Aquilina said that Abela’s insistence on keeping Cardona as his party deputy indicated that the prime minister did not have the power to call the shots.

“He is allowing Chris Cardona, like Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi do what they want. That is the true pact with the devil,” Aquilina said, referencing a phrase Abela had used during his campaign to succeed Joseph Muscat as Labour leader.

Aquilina said that Abela was negotiating with Cardona to see how to hold a PL deputy leadership election while keeping him within the Labour fold.

“Robert Abela must say what he plans to do with Chris Cardona and explain why he is not taking any steps against him,” the PN MP said.

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