Updated 5.50pm

Yorgen Fenech was hospitalised on Saturday, just hours after he formally applied for a presidential pardon to spill the beans on Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder, Times of Malta is informed.

The application by the well-known businessman was formally submitted on Saturday morning, possibly hours before his arraignment.

His request has reached the prime minister, who is expected to seek the advice of the Attorney General and the police before considering the potential ramifications of acceding to it. It is not yet known whether the request was made in writing.

But shortly afterwards he was seen being admitted to hospital suffering from "medical complications", one source said. He was referred to hospital by a doctor.

He was released later and will get police bail before he is re-arrested. All suspects have to be released within 48 hours of arrest.

In a statement, the police said it had been informed that due to his medical condition, Mr Fenech cannot be interrogated for the next 24 hours.

Police said they had been informed it is the normal procedure for someone who receives his kind of treatment, though his condition has not been specified. Mr Fenech will continue being closely guarded by the police.

Mr Fenech was arrested on Wednesday morning as he tried to leave the country on board his luxury yacht. According to a source close to the investigation, an arrest warrant, sought by the team investigating the 2017 murder, was signed by a magistrate "in a rush in relation to the attempted escape."

Times of Malta is also informed that Joseph Muscat is expected to agree to give a pardon to Melvin Theuma, the suspected middleman involved in the murder of the journalist.

Dr Muscat had signed a letter in which he committed himself to recommending a pardon for Mr Theuma, provided information he provided about the assassination was corroborated. Mr Theuma is believed to have provided sufficient evidence to the police to back his claims so far.

Vincent Muscat, one of the men who has been charged with sparking the device to kill Ms Caruana Galizia, has also requested a plea bargain, but the application has not been accepted.

More to follow