Attorney General Peter Grech said he resigned because of the impact on his health from work-related stress and criticized the "unfair" accusations levelled against his office in recent years.

Grech outlined his motives in his resignation letter, sent to President George Vella last Saturday, which the Office of the Attorney General published on Monday.

The move follows calls by the PN MP Karol Aquilina and NGO Repubblika who insisted that the reasons behind his departure should be made public.

Grech who had been appointed in 2010, has been under fire since 2016 when the Panama Papers Revelations came to light.

His decision not to pursue those cases involving a sitting minister, Konrad Mizzi, and the prime minister's chief of staff, Keith Schembri fuelled controversy and accusations that he was a government puppet.

He was also in the limelight over his decision to hand a copy of the Egrant inquiry to the prime minister but not the Opposition leader.

In his letter, Grech said his decision to resign next month was not easy after a 37-year career at the Attorney General's Office.

He insisted he had strived to fulfil his duty in full respect of the constitution, his conscience and his oath as a lawyer.

'Unfair' attacks

Grech expressed regret over the fact that he was frequently a source of political debate, which he described as being at times “unfair” and aimed to fuel false perceptions.

“My post and sense of dignity more often than not precluded me from stooping to this level to reply,” the outgoing Attorney General said.

“Unfortunately, the fact that at times I did not react to serious accusations against me might have been interpreted as an acceptance of such claims, particularly my role as Attorney General,” he noted.

Grech refuted these accusations saying the attacks and twisted interpretations of some of his decisions did not deter him from making decisions he felt were right.

The Attorney General pointed out that around two years ago he had suffered from a health scare which could have been possibly triggered by work-related stress.

“Though I never prioritised my health, I have reached a stage whereby I must be careful not to aggravate my condition,” he said.

Consequently after reflecting on the circumstances, consulting with his family and in the wake of his long career, he said it was the time to step down.