Joseph Muscat is expected to be grilled about whether he failed to shoulder political responsibility when he faces the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder inquiry on Friday morning. 

The former prime minister will also be asked about his relationship with his former chief of staff Keith Schembri, as well as with Yorgen Fenech, the businessman charged with the journalist’s murder in 2017.

Muscat will be the most high-profile individual to testify at the inquiry which has been tasked to establish whether the State could have prevented Caruana Galizia’s murder. 

Questions are also expected about Muscat's knowledge of dealings behind the hospitals’ projects as well as the secret companies opened by Schembri and former minister Konrad Mizzi. 

Muscat stepped down as prime minister last January amid the fallout created by the murder probe. During his term as prime minister, Muscat resisted calls to take action against Schembri, despite being named in the Panama Papers leaks. Schembri was also named as a person of interest in the murder probe, which eventually led to his stepping down. 

Muscat’s close relationship with Fenech only came to the fore towards the end of his term. 

The former prime minister said he is prepared to cooperate with the public inquiry, five days after Konrad Mizzi was forced to appear in front of the three judges, amid his protests. The former minister refused to answer most of the questions asked. 

Times of Malta will be live blogging Friday's session from 9.15am

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