[News] Malta government bears responsibility for journalist’s murder, inquiry finds

An independent inquiry in Malta into the car bomb murder of the anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has found the state had to bear responsibility after creating a “culture of impunity”.

Daphne Anne Caruana Galizia, a popular Maltese writer, journalist, blogger, and anti-corruption activist, was killed in a massive explosion as she drove out of her home on 16 October 2017.

 

 

According to UK Guardian, prosecutors believe the businessman Yorgen Fenech, who had close ties with senior government officials, masterminded the murder. Fenech, who is awaiting trial for the murder, denies all responsibility.

Three men suspected of setting off the bomb were arrested in December 2017. One has since pleaded guilty as part of a plea bargain and is serving a 15-year jail term. The other two are awaiting trial. The self-confessed middle man has turned state witness and was granted a pardon.

The inquiry, conducted by one serving judge and two retired judges, found that a culture of impunity was created by the highest echelons of power within the government of the time.

“The tentacles of impunity then spread to other regulatory bodies and the police, leading to a collapse in the rule of law,” said the panel’s report, which was published by the prime minister, Robert Abela.

It said the state failed to recognise the real and immediate risks to Caruana Galizia’s life and failed to take reasonable steps to avoid them.

It was clear, the inquiry board said, that the assassination was either intrinsically or directly linked to Caruana Galizia’s investigative work.

The former prime minister Joseph Muscat resigned in December 2019 after Fenech’s arrest. He was never accused of any wrongdoing. But media later revealed close links between Fenech, ministers, and senior police officers.

Abela said in a tweet that the report required “mature” and objective analysis. “Lessons must be drawn and the reforms must continue with greater resolve,” he said, without elaborating.

The inquiry heard evidence from the police, government officials, the Caruana Galizia family, and journalists, among others.