Muscat summoned to appear in criminal court on 28 May

Former Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat, and others have been summoned to appear in front of the criminal court on 28 May over the Vitals inquiry related charges.

Muscat, as well as former Minister, Konrad Mizzi, Muscat's former Chief of Staff, Keith Schembri, and others had charges filed against them tied to the Vitals inquiry earlier this month.

Muscat and others face charges of fraud, money laundering and making fraudulent gains, as well as conspiracy to commit an offence punishable by imprisonment of more than four years, amongst other things.

They have been charged under court summons, meaning that they will not be arraigned under arrest.

The inquiry report has not been made public, although Muscat has been granted partial access following a court case he filed.

He has insisted that he is innocent, and has called the charges against him a “political vendetta” and a complete fabrication.

The Vitals inquiry had been triggered back in 2019, following a request for an investigation that had been made by civil society NGO Repubblika.

Charges were also issued against Chris Fearne, who on Friday tendered his resignation as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for European Funds, and also asked that his nomination as Malta’s next European Commissioner be withdrawn.

Prime Minister, Robert Abela, who has mounted a doubtseeding campaign against the magisterial inquiry, urged Fearne to reconsider.

Also charged was former Finance Minister and current Central Bank Governor, Edward Scicluna. He is yet to comment on the charges, and still holds his post.