Pope meets with embattled Malta PM despite plea to cancel 0 SHARES Share it! Share TweetBy Agence France-PressePope Francis held a private audience with outgoing Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat on Saturday, despite a plea to cancel the meeting over a scandal-hit investigation into the murder of a journalist. The Argentine pontiff met Muscat and his family for an event the Vatican said had been scheduled months ago. Twenty-two Maltese academics sent the pope a letter, dated before Muscat’s decision to step down, asking Francis to cancel a meeting they slammed as a “propaganda exercise” for the prime minister. The reporter had become known for exposing cronyism and sleaze within the country’s political and business elite, including among Muscat’s inner circle.

Source: Manila Bulletin December 07, 2019 14:26 UTC