Robert Abela has slammed a “dangerous attack” by lawyer Jason Azzopardi on the upcoming trial of murder suspect Yorgen Fenech.

Speaking on ONE Radio, the prime minister indirectly referred to a court decision this week, which ordered Lovin Malta to edit an interview it carried out with Azzopardi.

In the interview, Azzopardi said all the evidence pointed to Fenech being the sole mastermind behind the October 2017 assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

The former MP is one of two lawyers representing the Caruana Galizia family.

Fenech's lawyers hit out at the "untrue" statements in a court application this week.

In response, Judge Edwina Grima, who will be presiding over the trial, reportedly ordered Lovin Malta to remove the section of Azzopardi’s interview referencing Fenech, as it could influence jurors and interfere with the administration of justice.

Without referring to Azzopardi by name, the prime minister slammed those who “act like they are the paladins of the rule of law, then make declarations that contaminate court procedures”.

Abela said the reasons behind such declarations worried him.

He lauded the court for taking the necessary steps to stem the “abuse” and protect the judicial process.

Fenech, who denies wrongdoing, was arrested in November 2019 over his alleged role in commissioning the assassination.

The Tumas businessman has claimed former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri is the real mastermind behind the murder.

Upon his arrest, Fenech initially pinned the murder on ex-minister Chris Cardona, later claiming that it was Schembri who instructed him to blame Cardona.

‘We will fight back’

During his interview on Sunday, Abela also hit out at the “frontal attack” on health minister Jo Etienna Abela and home affairs minister Byron Camilleri.

The health minister has been under pressure over the death of 55-year-old Stephen Mangion at Mater Dei while Camilleri has faced claims he knew of an alleged racket LESA.

Abela said “unfounded attacks” were unacceptable, vowing that the government will fight back against them.

The prime minister said it was his government that pushed reforms which improved the judicial process, including the introduction of magistrates dedicated to working on inquiries.

In the past, he said everyone was comfortable with a system whereby magisterial inquiries either got shelved or took years to be concluded.