Opposition leader Bernard Grech on Sunday slammed the Labour government for serving the interests of organized criminals and called on all those of goodwill to join the Nationalist Party’s efforts to clean up the country’s reputation.  

In an interview on the PN’s Net radio, Grech weighed in on the damning conclusions of a public inquiry into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.  

He said it was clear from the inquiry’s conclusions that the government had prioritised the interests of a few over the best interests of the country. 

Published on Thursday, the inquiry found that the Maltese state should be held responsible for failing to prevent the 2017 assassination and for in part enabling it by fostering a "culture of impunity". 

That culture led to Caruana Galizia being increasingly isolated as she took on the nexus of politics and big business, with authorities unresponsive to evident risks to her life.

Grech said he had attended a protest following the publication of the inquiry’s findings because he wanted to lend his voice to those fighting corruption. 

He said that anyone who believes in justice should do the same.  

Grech also accused the government of hindering the media. Tax payer funds, he said, were being used to manipulate the media and therefore the public.  

He also renewed his call for Prime Minister Robert Abela to dissociate himself from his predecessor Joseph Muscat. 

Of course, Muscat had done good for the country, but this could not be used to excuse all the bad that had happened since 2013, Grech said. 

“Robert Abela has to send a clear message to Malta and beyond that he is different and will not tolerate what happened under Joseph Muscat,” he said. 

Borrowing from Muscat, Grech said closed off by saying it was the PN, and not Labour that were the real electoral underdogs.