For years, Blair and his cronies feted Malta’s fervently pro-EU prime minister. But now a woman journalist has been murdered and the Blairites are turning their backs as their old friend is accused of having . . . BLOOD ON HIS HANDS
HE’S the EU leader who has been described as Tony Blair’s ‘mini me’, and like his ‘mentor’ has lobbied for Britain to hold a second referendum to reverse Brexit. But last night Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat was clinging to power after being accused of having ‘blood on his hands’ over the murder of an investigative journalist. Until recently he was the darling of the Blairite set, with former No 10 spin doctor Alastair Campbell flying to the Mediterranean island as recently as four weeks ago to speak at an investors’ conference with Mr Muscat.
Other Labour politicians, including former party General Secretary Iain McNicol, have also flocked to Valletta this year.
However, after the Prime Minister’s chief of staff was arrested last week over allegations he had been a co-conspirator in the car bomb assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia – who had made allegations of high-level corruption among Mr Muscat’s associates – Mr Blair and his allies have distanced themselves.
A spokeswoman for Mr Blair was keen last night to stress that he was ‘not in regular contact’ with the embattled Maltese premier.
Baby-faced Mr Muscat has faced growing anger over claims he has tried to protect two of his most senior ministers from being implicated in Ms Caruana Galizia’s killing two years ago.
She was murdered after finding evidence in the Panama Papers – a cache of 11 million documents detailing secretive offshore tax arrangements leaked in 2016 – apparently incriminating Keith Schembri, who ran Mr Muscat’s office.
The 53-year-old reported that Mr Schembri and Mr Muscat’s energy minister Konrad Mizzi were due to receive money through an offshore company from Yorgen Fenech, a businessman who had been granted permission by Mr Muscat’s Government to run a power station.
The scandal escalated last week when Mr Schembri was arrested as he tried to flee Malta on his yacht after police received information from a suspected intermediary in the murder.
It prompted Maltese MEP David Casa to say: ‘The world is watching. It is insanity that Joseph Muscat thinks his position is still tenable. He has blood on his hands.’
Ms Caruana Galizia’s family has led calls for Mr Muscat’s resignation, saying the ‘travesty of justice’ was ‘shaming our country’.
MR CAMPBELL – who was worki ng for Mr Blair when t he former Labour Premier was accused of having ‘blood on his hands’ following the death of weapons scientist Dr David Kelly – flew out to speak at a ‘Malta Attractiveness’ conference in October. Colleagues claim Mr Campbell said he would be using the trip to advise Mr Muscat who was ‘a bit corrupt’ but ‘no murderer’.
Mr Campbell strongly denies this, and says he was only in Malta in order to give his speech.
He was also at the centre of a row in Britain in October when The Mail on Sunday published emails from Mr Campbell and Peter Mandelson showing they were plotting a ‘Blairite coup’ to oust Roland Rudd from the chair of the People’s Vote campaign for a second referendum.
Also spotted in Malta in August was ex-Labour General Secretary Baron McNicol of West Kilbride, who set up McNicol Consulting after he was ousted from party HQ in 2018 after being seen as too ‘Blairite’ by Jeremy Corbyn’s team.
When confronted by the MoS, Lord McNicol said he was on the isle for a diving holiday with his son, but when presented with evidence he had met with a senior Maltese minister during the trip he did not respond to requests for further comment. The MoS has learnt the pair discussed ‘the Blair years in Government’ over dinner.
Mr Muscat, 45, who has been Prime Minister since 2013, is regarded as being ‘one of several young leaders groomed and mentored by Blair since he left office’.
A diplomatic source said: ‘When Muscat became Prime Minister the investment started to pay off.
‘Blair cronies and spin doctors have been dispatched to Malta, and an army of international lobbyists and consultants paid from the public purse to provide strategic advice to Muscat and his ministers to help sweep under the carpet Government controversies such as the sale of pass ports, Panama bank accounts, tax avoidance and money laundering.’
At a business reception in 2017 at the Maltese High Commission in London Mr Muscat beamed when he was introduced to the crowd as ‘Tony Blair’s mini me’ – as Mr Blair paid a gushing tribute by video. Weeks later, the pair were spotted strolling through Valletta together, with the local press describing how Mr Blair had his ‘tan jacket held casually over his shoulder’.
Mr Blair said: ‘I wanted to come here to see Malta again and to meet the Prime Minister.’
Mr Muscat took a hard line against the UK during Brexit negotiations – and joined Mr Blair in urging the UK to hold a second referendum.
The tentacles of organised crime extend deep into Malta, a former British colony which declared itself a republic in 1971. Earlier this year, the European Council warned that Malta’s ‘passports for sale’ system under which non-EU citizens can effectively buy EU citizenship by paying €650,000, plus a property investment of €350,000 – was helping criminals to escape justice.
Mr Muscat had harboured ambitions of taking a senior job in the EU, but his hopes are likely to have been dashed by last week’s scenes of protesters in Valletta shouting ‘Mafia’ and ‘murderers’, and throwing eggs and fake bank notes.
Ms Caruana Galizia’s son, Paul, wrote last week that the ‘conspiracy to protect her killers’ was ‘finally beginning to crumble’.
A former adviser to the Maltese government said: ‘It’s well known Tony and Joseph are friends but as far as I’m aware Tony’s political advice has always generally been quite arms length and informal’.
Mr Campbell said: ‘I went to Malta for a speech. I do not advise Mr Muscat or the Government.’
A spokeswoman for Mr Blair said: ‘ The only recent conversation they’ve had was several months ago and was wholly about Brexit.’
Last night a source close to Mr Campbell said: ‘Alastair has never advised the Maltese Government, and anyone who tries to smear him by suggesting that he has is acting out of ulterior motives. He spoke to Mr Muscat when he was out there, but only to discuss Brexit’.
Fenech was last night charged as an accomplice to the murder of Ms Caruana Galizia.
Spin doctors and consultants sent to give advice to Muscat