President George Vella on Wednesday indicated that work was being done behind the scenes to ensure the recommendations of a public inquiry into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia would be implemented.

The 437-page inquiry report, published last month, concluded that the state should shoulder responsibility for the journalist’s death because of the atmosphere of impunity that spread from Castille.

Asked whether, as head of state, he feels that he should shoulder his share of responsibility for the 2017 assassination, Vella did not give a yes or no answer yesterday.

“Not all that is being done is done out in the open,” he said.

“As head of state I can assure you that I am doing my duty with a clear conscience. That which I do I do before God.”

The inquiry concluded that Joseph Muscat’s entire cabinet should be held collectively responsible for their inaction in the lead-up to the assassination.

Vella had served as minister in the 2013 Muscat cabinet. 

Asked if he felt a share of responsibility for this, Vella urged the public to read the report. 

“I have already made my reaction publicly to the report,” the president said.

In a statement the day after the inquiry was published, Vella said that the report should serve as the starting point for a national recovery from the trauma left by the journalist’s murder.

He also said that he felt regret over all that had led to Caruana Galizia’s murder.

Following the publication of the inquiry, the president faced calls for his resignation, most notably from former Nationalist Party and opposition leader Simon Busuttil and Caruana Galizia family lawyer Jason Azzopardi. 

Vella, however, did not comment on this when asked about it on Wednesday.