Updated 2pm with government reaction

The Opposition has called on the government to set up a special commission which would check whether Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder could have been prevented, and if there were any government shortcomings.

Almost a year to the day since the murder, Opposition leader Adrian Delia said that it was clear that the government did not do its duty before the murder – or even afterwards to identify who had commissioned the murder.

Highlighting the recent claims about Economy Minister Chris Cardona, linking  him with one of the three men accused of her murder, the Nationalist Party said that an independent and autonomous special commission was needed.

Read: Daphne Project: Cardona denies 'false smears' linking him to alleged Caruana Galizia killer

The party said that the commission would investigate what protection the government could have provided, whether it was aware of the plot and whether they failed to act on any information.

Although the compilation of evidence against the three suspects is underway, the party wants the government to say what the police is doing to track down those who commissioned the assassination.

It also called on the government to remove the Police Commissioner who had allowed a minister’s husband to form part of the investigative team, and replace him with a competent person.

Government says points raised by Delia already subject of investigation

The government rebutted the call, saying that most of the points mentioned by the Opposition leader of the Opposition were already subject to investigation, and noting that when a crime such as a homicide occurs, two parallel investigations take place – one conducted by the Police and the other conducted by the Inquiring Magistrate.

There is also currently ongoing correspondence between the Attorney General and the lawyers of the family of Daphne Caruana Galizia regarding the merits of the setting-up of a public inquiry.

The government said that the lawyers were asked to react to a number of legal questions which could arise if a public inquiry were to be set up over and above ongoing criminal investigations.

“While it is of utmost importance to avert situations or decisions which might prejudice or hinder ongoing criminal investigations, at the same time there is nothing which excludes the setting-up of another inquiry at a later stage as long as this prejudice is averted,” it said.