A police search of Joseph Muscat's house was designed to "serve Robert Abela's electoral interests",  Opposition leader Bernard Grech said on Wednesday. 

Muscat’s Burmarrad home was searched by police on Wednesday as part of a corruption probe into the Vitals Global Healthcare (VGH) hospitals deal.

The former prime minister said he had been tipped off about a possible raid by someone "within the Nationalist Party" who told him that PN MP Jason Azzopardi was telling people about the planned search.

In comments following the search, Muscat said he was upset with the "needless theatrics" that he said were possibly designed to "humiliate" him.

Reacting to news of the search, Grech argued that in saying that someone was out to humiliate him, Muscat was implicitly threatening his successor, Robert Abela. 

"He is implying that Abela intervened with the police to humiliate him," Grech wrote on Facebook. 

Muscat had himself admitted that he had had whole months to prepare his defence, he added.

It was evident, Grech said, that Abela and his government were distracted by serious internal problems.

PN leader Bernard Grech said Joseph Muscat had 'threatened' his successor with his video message.

Repubblika welcomes search

In a separate statement, civil society group Repubblika welcomed the search and said it backed the magistrate and police in their work, noting that the inquiry it formed part of was triggered by its legal efforts. 

The authorities, Repubblika said, should not be afraid of political power when there were serious suspicions of corruption.

The NGO however expressed concern that Muscat had openly admitted that he knew of the search before it happened, though it said it was not surprised that Muscat continued to enjoy "corrupt allegiances in the institutions to help him escape justice."