Robert Aquilina has announced he will be stepping down as president of Repubblika, the rule of law NGO he helped establish five years ago.

The notary, who has headed the rule of law NGO since 2020, said his term as president has come to an end.

In a Facebook post, he vowed to continue representing Repubblika in its court battles against ex-prime minister Joseph Muscat as well as in legal proceedings against the police commissioner and attorney general over the Pilatus Bank scandal.

“I will continue to resist Joseph Muscat’s desperate attempts to pervert the course of justice,” Aquilina said about the ongoing criminal inquiry into the Vitals/Steward hospitals deal.

He said inquiries like the one investigating the inquiry into the deal on three public hospitals, which was kickstarted by Repubblika, will be instrumental in ensuring justice.

Robert Aquilina became an activist after the October 2017 murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Photo: Chris Sant Fournier.

“This is why I will be dedicating all my energy to ensuring these important battles are concluded,” Aquilina said.

Aquilina is expected to announce at the Repubblika annual general meeting on Friday that he will be handing over the reins to academic Vicki Ann Cremona.

The notary will however act as Malta’s representative for the anti-mafia Giovanni Falcone Foundation.

Aquilina became an activist after the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in October 2017.

He co-founded Repubblika a year later, and was instrumental in organising the 2019 protests that eventually led to Muscat’s resignation.

The Repubblika president helped organised the 2019 protests against then prime minister Joseph Muscat. Photo: Jonathan Borg.

That same year, Repubblika filed a court application demanding a criminal inquiry into the “fraudulent” deal that saw Muscat’s government hand over the running of three public hospitals to Vitals Global Healthcare.

A civil court last year struck down the contract over fraud and collusion concerns.

In 2021, Aquilina camped outside police headquarters in protest over inaction against politicians implicated in high-level corruption.

The criminal inquiry into the deal has yet to be concluded, however, Muscat’s home and office were searched in January 2022 on suspicions of corruption and money laundering.

Police searching Joseph Muscat's home in connection with the Vitals inquiry. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli.

During his time as Repubblika president, Aquilina had also become the face of the battle against Pilatus Bank.

Repubblika launched a legal challenge against the Attorney General over a decision not to take legal action against certain Pilatus officials, despite an inquiring magistrate finding ground for prosecution.

In 2023, Aquilina authored a book detailing how top government officials “shielded” Pilatus risk manager Antoniella Gauci and operations supervisor Mehmet Tasli.

Aquilina had revealed how international arrest warrants for bank owner Ali Sadr and other bank officials had not been actioned by the authorities.

Sadr has yet to face any charges in connection with the bank’s operations.

Repubblika has decried police 'inaction' against top Pilatus Bank officials.

Aquilina's high-profile battle against corruption has seen him face numerous threats. 

In January, a man who threatened to hurl a barrel of acid at him was fined €5,000 by a court. 

Aquilina sought police protection last year over fears he was being followed by people close to a network of politicians, as well as an attempted break-in of his family home.