Joseph Muscat's letter of resignation as prime minister has been published - more than seven months after it was sent to President George Vella.

In the three-paragraph document, Muscat gave no reason for his stepping down other than to say that he was submitting his resignation since a new Labour Party leader had been elected.

The letter is dated January 13 but was only published on Monday.

The Office of the President had refused to publish the letter. Muscat published it on his Facebook page on Monday, after consultation with the Office of the President, saying he was doing so to avoid speculation. 

Muscat had announced his intention to resign late in November amid the political fall-out from the investigation into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. 

He called on President Vella on November 29, when, it is believed, he told him of his intention to step down. He publicly announced his plans on December 1, saying he would stay on until a new Labour leader was elected in early January.

The resignation letter.The resignation letter.

Although Muscat had said after the 2017 general election that that was to be his last electoral contest as Labour leader, his departure was precipitated by the political and legal crisis brought about by the Caruana Galizia investigation. 

Muscat's resignation announcement came amid daily protests in Valletta calling for his departure following the arrest and arraignment of Yorgen Fenech, the suspected mastermind in the murder.

Muscat was criticised for receiving gifts from Fenech. He was also seen as having protected his chief of staff, Keith Schembri, who was a close friend of Fenech. Schembri resigned a few days before Muscat announced his departure. 

Muscat was questioned by the police on Friday over a statement made by Fenech when he was first interrogated.  But the former prime minister said the police had confirmed to him that he was not a suspect in the murder investigation. 

Fenech told investigators in November last year that Muscat had asked him if Keith Schembri had featured in recordings secretly taken by murder middleman Melvin Theuma.

 

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