Former Maltese PM brought down by journalist murder quits parliament
Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat resigned from Malta’s parliament on Monday after a 90-second speech in which he said he was proud of his achievements.
Muscat stepped down as prime minister in January following
allegations of government corruption made by activists and the political
opposition who said he had protected people linked to the 2017 murder of
journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Muscat always denied wrongdoing and was
never charged or convicted.
He became the leader of the Labour Party in 2008 and led it
to a landslide victory in 2013, when he became prime minister.
Muscat won another landslide in 2017, riding an economic
boom that saw Malta turn a budget deficit into a surplus and almost eliminate
unemployment.
He was succeeded this year as party leader and prime
minister by Robert Abela.
Muscat’s resignation from parliament comes weeks after his
former chief of staff, Keith Schembri, was briefly arrested in connection with
a police investigation into alleged money laundering from the sale of Maltese
passports. Schembri denies wrongdoing and has not been formally charged.
Muscat also served in the European Parliament between 2004
and 2008.
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