Maltese MEPs traded sharp accusations in the European Parliament during a heated debate on Malta’s rule of law, the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the state of the country’s institutions. View this post on Instagram A post shared by Lovin Malta (@lovinmalta)The strongest exchange came between PN MEP Peter Agius and Labour MEP Alex Agius Saliba, after Agius accused the European Commission of becoming “part of the problem” when it comes to corruption in Malta. He argued that EU rule-of-law assessments had given the government a “clean bill of health” despite continuing concerns, while describing the Police Commissioner as a government “tool” and the Attorney General as a “puppet”.Agius Saliba hit back, arguing that full justice for Caruana Galizia should not come at the expense of Malta’s judicial system. “Peter Agius does not deserve to be called a Maltese representative here in this European Parliament,” he said.The pair also clashed over the acquittal of Yorgen Fenech on charges related to commissioning Caruana Galizia’s murder, a verdict which the Attorney General has appealed. Agius Saliba defended the work of investigators, police and prosecutors, while Agius responded: “The facts do not prove you right, because we are here because nine years later the instigator is still not in prison.”PN MEP David Casa also described Fenech’s acquittal as a “big blow to justice” and argued that recommendations from the public inquiry into Caruana Galizia’s assassination remained unimplemented. Labour MEP Thomas Bajada focused on protecting journalists and combating misinformation, warning that “one of the biggest threats to journalism today is lies disguised as news.”The exchanges later prompted a reaction from Prime Minister Robert Abela in Malta’s Parliament, where he said he was “disgusted” by the interventions of two PN MEPs and accused them of causing “irreparable damage to our country”. He urged them to “stop this type of damage against our country”, while Casa rejected the argument that speaking out about Malta’s institutions amounted to harming the country.What do you make of the heated exchange between Malta’s MEPs in the European Parliament?•