Lawrence Gonzi has urged for heightened efforts to ensure justice in the case of Daphne Caruana Galizia's assassination and to unravel the "evil web" that surrounds the case.

The former prime minister was reacting to details that emerged in court on Thursday, when one of the hitmen, Vincent Muscat Il-Koħħu, testified under oath about the execution of plans for the journalist's murder. 

Muscat named several high-profile political figures in his testimony, including former minister Chris Cardona and former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri.

On Friday Gonzi said in a Facebook post that the macabre and cruel account not only pierced through the heart of the Caruana Galizia family, but was also quite shocking for people who were fair and loved Malta.

"If our country wants to truly find some sort of cure, there need to be bigger efforts from everyone so that this evil web is exposed to the full, justice is served and this nightmare is exorcised once and for all.

"We cannot remain silent in the face of allegations that the murder was commissioned because Caruana Galizia was going to publish dome details," he said.