People gathered in Valletta on Tuesday night to call for the resignation of Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis over his conversations with alleged murder conspirator Yorgen Fenech.   

The gathering was organised by civil society NGO Repubblika, which said it was unacceptable that the role of minister of justice and governance is held by someone who had maintained a relationship with Fenech.  

The businessman stands accused of complicity in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia and has been linked to high-level government corruption.   

Photo: Ivan Martin

Times of Malta last week reported how Zammit Lewis had communicated with Fenech in 2019, mocking attempts to ensure justice over Fenech's secret company 17 Black and calling supporters of his own party "Ġaħan" - a Maltese folk character renowned for being stupid.

The minister, at the time a Labour backbencher, had maintained contact with Fenech, even after it was known that he was the owner of 17 Black, a once-secret company believed to have been a vehicle for paying bribes to top government officials Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi. They deny any involvement.

Dozens of people gathered outside the Auberge D'Aragon, which houses the justice ministry, waving Maltese flags and placards denouncing the Labour politician.

Addressing the crowd, Repubblika president Robert Aquilina said Zammit Lewis had described himself as a technocrat and not as a fool (Ġaħan).    The protestors brought a door to symbolise the door Ġaħan dragged around with him in the folk tale.   

'Justice Minister sucks up to millionaire criminals' 

“You knew what Yorgen Fenech was involved in and you sucked up to this millionaire criminal. We have a justice minister who sucks up to millionaire criminals,” Aquilina said.   

Photo: Ivan Martin

He said the protestors had gathered to demand the resignation of Zammit Lewis. If this was not done immediately, then Abela was no better than his predecessor, Joseph Muscat. he said.  

The protest came hours after the Nationalist Party opposition was informed that its attempt to ensure a no-confidence motion in Zammit Lewis would be debated with urgency was denied.   

On Monday, Zammit Lewis told Times of Malta that he had no reason to apologise and that he had no intention of resigning. 

What happened in 2019?

At Labour headquarters in January 2019, Zammit Lewis had addressed a press conference with Robert Abela, at the time also a backbencher.

The press conference came hours after a court blocked former opposition leader Simon Busuttil’s demands for a new inquiry into Fenech’s 17 Black and the Panama Papers scandal.  

Photo: Ivan Martin

Busuttil had been trying to trigger an investigation after Times of Malta and Reuters revealed Fenech as 17 Black’s owner.  

During that press conference, Zammit Lewis and Abela described Busuttil as a “threat to the rule of law” for his continued attempts to force court action on the Panama Papers and 17 Black.  Busuttil had suffered yet another “knockout blow” in the courts, Zammit Lewis had told reporters.   Shortly after that press conference, the minister sent a link to a news report of it to Fenech.