Prime Minister Robert Abela is seeking credit for the recent developments in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder case when no credit is due, Opposition leader Bernard Grech said on Thursday. 

He was speaking after Prime Minister Robert Abela held two press conferences in as many days, the first after one of the accused pleaded guilty and new arrests were made, and the second following Wednesday night's arraignments.

People should delude themselves into believing that these developments in the case were made thanks to the prime minister or his government, Grech said. The developments were the result of the “strength and conviction” of civil society and members of the Nationalist Party, who have persevered in their insistence that the truth be revealed, despite being threatened, he said.

"We did not get here because the institutions are working but because those in search of justice prevailed, despite clear attempts at obstruction and collusion from the highest echelons of power,” Grech said.

The developments in the investigation weren’t made on the strength of the government’s convictions, because it had instead allowed a culture of impunity to fester from the highest corridors of power, from which there were clear attempts to obstruct the course of justice.

He insisted that Robert Abela should not act like he had not been part of the Muscat government.

Grech also observed that there seems to be a rush to declare this case closed when there are still investigations to be carried out.

He was referring to a comment by the police commissioner at a Wednesday press conference when he was asked whether the case was now closed. The commissioner said that on the basis of available evidence, all involved, mastermind and executioners, had been arraigned or were being arraigned. He however stopped short of actually saying the case is closed.

Grech added that he trusted the assertions of Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa on the basis of the evidence available to him, but he urged him to continue investigating all aspects of the murder and not exclude the involvement of politicians in the matter. 

He pledged that the Nationalist Party would continue to work to bring truth to light and have justice served to all those who may have played a part in Caruana Galizia’s murder.