The government has published a presidential pardon given to Vincent Muscat over his role in the murder of lawyer Carmel Chircop. 

According to the two-page document, Muscat must reveal the identity of other players involved in the crime, provide details of how the murder was carried out, and return the money he was paid. 

Muscat was granted the pardon by president George Vella. Times of Malta exclusively revealed the pardon decision on Tuesday. 

The published pardon document reveals that Muscat’s lawyer Marc Sant informed authorities that his client was willing to cooperate with investigators looking into Chircop's 2015 murder through a letter sent on January 19, 2021.

Chircop, 51, was gunned down inside a garage complex in Birkirkara on a Thursday morning in October 2015, as he was heading to work. 

He was shot four times in the upper body and died on the spot. 

On Tuesday Muscat pleaded guilty to his role in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, receiving a 15-year sentence as part of a plea bargain deal with prosecutors.

Shortly afterwards three men were arrested on suspicion they supplied the bomb used to kill the journalist in 2017. 

What does the pardon say?

According to the terms of the pardon, Muscat has agreed to detail the whole story, from start to finish, of how he was contracted as well as how the murder was planned and carried out.  

Muscat must provide the identities of individuals involved, including those who commissioned the crime and those who executed the killing.  

He must provide testimony on the amount of money he was paid for his role in the murder and any money he may have passed on to third parties.  

Muscat will also explain how he knows the mastermind behind the killing as well as the hitmen. 

He will give information on the murder weapon used and what was done with it after the fact, as well as the vehicle used in the drive-by shooting, and the route taken in the getaway. 

The pardon only applies to Muscat's role in Chircop's murder and requires him to say the whole truth and cooperate with any investigations and court proceedings. 

Should Muscat fail to do so or refuse to testify, he will lose his pardon. Muscat must also pay back any money he received for his part in Chircop's murder.