Mark Sammut claims Joseph Muscat asked his father to start a blog to harass Daphne

Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had asked celebrated author Frans Sammut to pen a blog to put Daphne Caruana Galizia "in a bad light," the author’s son claimed during the public inquiry into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia today.

Now deceased, Frans Sammut, author of il- Gaġġa and other seminal works, had allegedly mentioned how he had refused the offer, to his son.

Mark Sammut told the inquiry board "He [my father] made a comment en passant in a conversation. The importance of it came to me when I read a news report on Joseph Muscat's testimony before this board.”

Muscat had denied instigating or inciting hatred against Caruana Galizia, when he testified before the board last year. "When I read this my memory was triggered,” Sammut said. “My father had told me that Muscat had approached him to come up with a blog...my father was an author and wrote a lot for the Labour Party. He was asked to contribute to this blog to put Caruana Galizia in a bad light".

Sammut had turned him down as the idea was contrary to his personal ethics, recalled his son, despite having “no sympathy” for Caruana Galizia.

Asked if he now supported the PN, Sammut said he did. But this was not due to partisan politics, he stressed. "I felt that my father left a moral legacy...I have a sincere love for the truth and that the institutions of State work well. Joseph Muscat should not carry on with his mockery of the State and the public at large."

Caruana Galizia’s sister Corinne Vella briefly testified to give the board a copy of a dossier on the, now defunct, website tasteyourownmedicine.com. The anonymous blog had stopped operating around the same time that Glenn Bedingfield’s blog was set up, she said.

Also testifying today was independent politician and academic Prof. Arnold Cassola. He gave the board a report he had prepared about the Mriehel High Rise policy and Quad Developments. His testimony had little to do with the inquiry’s terms of reference however, a fact pointed out repeatedly by the board.

Assistant Commissioner Alexandra Mamo testified behind closed doors about the police investigation and the Melvin Theuma recordings.

The public inquiry continues on March 5.

15:37 Thank you for following. A summary of proceedings will follow shortly. Karl Azzopardi

15:35 The press has been asked to leave the room so the board can discuss Alexandra Mamo’s testimony. Karl Azzopardi

15:34 The next sitting is scheduled for Friday 5 March at 9:30 am. Karl Azzopardi

15:34 The board says it cannot continue without it. Karl Azzopardi

15:33 The Board says there is a delay in the transcribing of former PM Joseph Muscat and Minister Owen Bonnici's testimony due to its length. Karl Azzopardi

15:28 His testimony is over. “It is worthwhile investigating why the Prime Minister Robert Abela did not want the board to continue its work,” he says as he steps off the stand. Karl Azzopardi

15:27 "I have been working on the connections for two years," Cassola tells the board. "In this hall a lot of perjury has taken place and I had requested the Commissioner of Police to investigate." Karl Azzopardi

15:26 Cassola’s testimony has nothing to do with the terms of reference, Said Pullicino tells the professor. Karl Azzopardi

15:22 Quad developments were obliged to pay €50,000 when a masterplan was made for Mriehel. "Today they and Ian Borg are still lying about flyovers ...." he was interrupted by the panel. "We are not here to hear about these issues," said Mr. Justice Said Pullicino Karl Azzopardi

15:21 Cassola alleges that Electrogas received preferential treatment from the OHSA in 2015, which had found irregularities in the new plant which were serious enough to shut it down. He quotes an email which says the minister will calm down the OHSA and tipped off the company of a "surprise" inspection. Karl Azzopardi

15:19 Cassola is repeatedly brought to order by the court for making opinionated comments, aside from factual testimony. Karl Azzopardi

15:16 Six weeks after the public consultation on the towers finished, a representative of Quad Towers met with then Parliamentary Secretary for Planning within the Office of the Prime Minister Michael Farrugia. A few minutes after this meeting, Farrugia had requested the inclusion of Mriehel in the high rise policy. Karl Azzopardi

15:16 He begins with the Mriehel High Rise: " ħadma enormi tibda f'Kastilja" (a plot crafted inside Castille) Karl Azzopardi

15:12 But Personally, Cassola had experienced nothing to do with the case, he explains. He had researched various topics and made several Freedom Of Information requests as an academic, preparing a report with supporting documents. Karl Azzopardi

15:10 The board warned him to testify about what he knew personally. Karl Azzopardi

15:10 He did so because he felt the State had done everything to facilitate the interests of Electrogas and Quad Towers. Karl Azzopardi

15:08 Cassola had asked to appear before the board. Karl Azzopardi

15:07 Independent candidate Arnold Cassola takes the stand and is administered the oath. Karl Azzopardi

15:06 The blog seemed to stop at the same time that Glen Bedingfield's blog started, the board was informed. Karl Azzopardi

15:05 One of the blog's main stories was a supposed secret second family sired by her father in Sicily. Caruana Galizia did have family in Sicily but the reality was far more mundane. They were cousins, Vella explained. Karl Azzopardi

15:04 Sexuality was an important theme in the blog, Daphne was represented by the name of a famous transsexual person. Karl Azzopardi

15:04 She is referring to a man mistaken to be her son. She did not want to name him in order to avoid further harassment of him. Karl Azzopardi

15:04 The website was set up specifically to harass daphne and her loved ones as well as people connected to her. "It even extended to persons mistakenly identified as first-degree relatives. He was targeted for his sexuality." Karl Azzopardi

15:00 Caruana Galizia's sister, Corinne Vella takes the stand to present a dossier she had prepared about the website ‘tasteyourownmedicine.com’. The site is no longer online but is still available on a web archive. Karl Azzopardi

14:59 Lawyer Therese Comodini Cachia is giving updates on various reports that are still pending. Karl Azzopardi

14:57 The board notes that it has received a note of submissions by email from the Committee of Legal Affairs and Human Rights of the Parliamentary assembly of the Council of Europe. These are being added to the acts of the inquiry. Karl Azzopardi

14:55 He steps off the podium. The judges are animatedly discussing something amongst themselves. Karl Azzopardi

14:53 Asked if he now supported the PN, Sammut said he did. But this was not due to partisan politics. "I felt that my father left a moral legacy...I have a sincere love for the truth and that the institutions of State work well. Joseph Muscat should not carry on with his mockery of the State and the public at large." Karl Azzopardi

14:51 "He had not wanted to do it, although he had no sympathy for Caruana Galizia, but he felt that he didn't want to do this," Sammut explains. Karl Azzopardi

14:50 The request was contrary to his personal ethics. Karl Azzopardi

14:49 His father wrote in both English and Maltese, and had also ghostwritten books for sitting MPs, Muscat says. Karl Azzopardi

14:49 His father had not wanted to contribute, however. Karl Azzopardi

14:48 Sammut: "When I read this my memory was triggered. My father had told me that Muscat had approached him to come up with a blog...my father was an author and wrote a lot for the Labour Party. He was asked to contribute to this blog to put Caruana Galizia in a bad light". Karl Azzopardi

14:47 Muscat had denied instigating or inciting hatred against Daphne Caruana Galizia Karl Azzopardi

14:47 Sammut confirmed. The statement dealt with his father and Joseph Muscat. "He [my father] made a comment en passant in a conversation. The importance of it came when I read a news report on Joseph Muscat's testimony before this board.” Karl Azzopardi

14:45 The public inquiry board asks Sammut to confirm on oath a written statement he had given to them. Karl Azzopardi

14:44 Mark Sammut takes the stand and is administered the oath. Karl Azzopardi

14:43 Media are allowed back into the courtroom. Karl Azzopardi

14:28 Assistant Police Commissioner Alexandra Mamo is currently testifying, among other things, about the Melvin Theuma recordings behind closed doors. Karl Azzopardi

14:27 Lawyer and author Mark Sammut and Assistant Police Commissioner Alexandra Mamo are expected to testify today. Karl Azzopardi

14:23 We are back in court for the continuation of the public inquiry into Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination. Karl Azzopardi

14:23 Good afternoon. Karl Azzopardi