PM hints beleaguered Chris Cardona could quit Labour deputy leadership

Chris Cardona might step down from Labour deputy leader, the Prime Minister hinted.

Abela said the former economy minister would do what was needed to avoid harming the PL.

The Prime Minister was fielding questions from journalists on Monday evening after announcing a €900 million COVID-19 economic recovery package.

"Chris Cardona has at heart the Labour Party, and I trust he will take all necessary decisions not to harm the party," Abela said.

In the past week, claims were made in court by Caruana Galizia murder middleman Melvin Theuma about Cardona's alleged role in the journalist's slaying.

Last week Theuma alleged, during the compilation of evidence against suspected mastermind Yorgen Fenech, that he had been told that Cardona had passed on €350,000 to Alfred Degiorgio, one of the three men accused with executing the car bomb murder.

Cardona has since denied any involvement, saying Theuma's claims were "nonsense, based on lies."

Sister newspaper Illum reported on Sunday that Cardona is also mentioned in other recordings which have not yet been played in court.

It added that Abela was under pressure from various quarters to remove Cardona for his deputy leadership role.

In November 2019, Cardona had suspended himself as economy minister in the wake of mass protests concerning revelations emerging from the Caruana Galizia murder case. He was not made a minister when Robert Abela took over Joseph Muscat as prime minister.

Last April, he also stepped down from a Labour MP, but said he would be retaining his role as the party's deputy leader.

Cardona was the subject of significant controversy in January 2017, when Caruana Galizia had alleged that the then minister had been as brothel in Germany while on official government business, claims which he has also denied.