Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri has categorically denied getting a call from former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat informing him of Iosif Galea’s arrest in Italy last month.

Galea was arrested while on a group holiday together with Joseph Muscat and his wife, amongst others.

He had been allowed to leave the country despite being the subject of a European Arrest Warrant issued by Germany. Malta's police force was aware of that EAW but did nothing about it for a year, Times of Malta reported on Sunday.

Speaking during parliament's plenary session on Monday, PN MP Karol Aquilina asked minister Camilleri whether he had received a call from Joseph Muscat informing him of Galea’s arrest when it happened.  

The minister categorically denied that.

Camilleri is known to have a close relationship with Joseph Muscat, with the two travelling together to watch football in Milan in the past.

Aquilina links minister's chief of staff to Muscat

Aquilina had initially asked the minister whether he had discussed Iosif Galea with his chief of staff, who he said had a link to the Muscat family.

Camilleri's chief of staff is Joseph Vella.  

“Given that the father of your chief of staff is Michelle Muscat’s driver, what did you discuss with your chief of staff with regards to the Iosif Galea case”, Aquilina asked Camilleri.

Camilleri pushed back against that question, saying it was an attack on his staff's family members. 

He also took the opportunity to flip the implication of Aquilina's line of questioning, taking a jab at the PN MP. 

“Are we to say that because you are the brother of (NGO) Repubblika president Robert Aquilina, that the Nationalist Party and Repubblika are one and the same thing?”, he asked.

The minister proceeded to say that he wants to ensure that investigations into the case are "independent".

The independent police complaints board, which falls under Camilleri's purview, was last week tasked with investigating the police's handling of the Galea affair. The board is chaired by retired judge Franco Depasquale. 

Camilleri said the board would have wide-ranging powers and could ask witnesses to come forward.

He said that his interest in the matter was threefold; to establish the facts as they happened, to take the necessary action and to make any administrative changes that may be deemed necessary.

“I am the one who takes decisions. And I take them in order to ensure facts are established," said the minister.