Former prime minister Joseph Muscat has said he is not a suspect in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder case, after being interrogated by police on Friday. 

He told reporters the questioning was in relation to a statement that murder suspect Yorgen Fenech had made about him months ago, and to which he had already responded. 

Muscat was interrogated for over an hour at police headquarters in Floriana. 

"The police declared on the record that I am not being investigated in connection with this case," he said afterwards.

"While I am not at liberty to discuss questions put to me, I can say that they were practically all related to a statement that was in the public domain."

Asked why he was called in now rather than at the time, Muscat responded: "Ask that to the police. I made the point to the police that the questions they were asking me had already been asked of me by journalists.”

Flanked by his lawyer, Paul Lia, Muscat said he had answered all questions put to him. The MP added in a post on Facebook later: "If the police need any further assistance from me on this case, which was closed during my tenure, or on any other case, I am ready to give it."

Muscat, who resigned as prime minister in January after the fall out from Fenech's arrest, said the questioning was in relation to information that "was on The Times [of Malta] and I responded to it on Facebook."

Fenech told investigators in November last year that Muscat had asked him if his chief of staff Keith Schembri had featured in recordings secretly taken by murder middleman Melvin Theuma.

The murder suspect claims he assured the then prime minister that he was doing his best to protect Schembri.

Contacted by Times of Malta last June, Muscat vehemently denied the claims made by the man who stands accused of ordering the journalist’s assassination in October 2017.

Muscat had said he was unaware what was said in any statements to the police, or how many versions were given, but insisted the claims were unfounded and part of a reputation-tarnishing campaign.

Muscat said he was threatened with this campaign because of the investigations and the fact that Fenech’s request for a presidential pardon was turned down.

The businessman's compilation of evidence is currently ongoing. 

Testifying last Tuesday, his doctor said he had heard Fenech saying: "If I go down, I'll take everyone down with me" ('Ninżel jien, jinżel kulħadd miegħi).