Workers filmed clearing photos, flowers and candles from the makeshift memorial to journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia said they were merely following “orders from above” when confronted by a German journalist. 

In a video posted on Twitter by Thomas Datt on Thursday morning, one worker says he was "doing his job" by clearing the Great Siege memorial opposite the law courts. 

“We have to clean the memorial,” he said when asked why a memorial to a dead journalist was being cleared. 

Asked who had given the orders to clear the moment, he replied: "it came from above".

The worker confirmed his department had a direct order to “clean” the monument. 

“We clean it. We clean it. We are doing our job. That’s all," the worker insisted. 

A vigil is held at the memorial on the 16th of every month to commemorate the slain journalist. 

The constant clearing of the memorial has led blogger Manuel Delia to file a constitutional case contesting these actions. 

A court last year heard how the order to clear the memorial daily came from Justice Minister Owen Bonnici. 

Dr Bonnici gave that order in September 2018, once the decision to restore the monument had been taken.

Ramon Deguara, director general at the Cleansing and Maintenance Division, had also told a court that the order came from Dr Bonnici.  “Before then, there were clear instructions not to touch anything,” Mr Deguara explained, adding that the situation had changed once the decision to restore the national monument had been taken.

In September 2018, Mr Deguara had received instructions to clear the memorial site from the minister via a telephone call.