Bomb-planting pair convicted in Daphne Caruana Galizia murder case, eight years on
Court in Malta convicts two individuals for providing explosive device causing death of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
In a landmark trial, a jury in Malta found Robert Agius and Jamie Vella guilty for their roles in the 2017 murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, a shocking event that sent shockwaves across Europe and ignited protests in the Mediterranean island nation.
The verdict, announced on Friday following a six-week-long trial, reveals that Agius and Vella, both associates of Malta's criminal underworld, provided the bomb that ended Caruana Galizia's life. The car bomb explosion claimed her life on October 16, 2017, as she was driving near her Bidnija home[1].
Throughout her career, Caruana Galizia fearlessly exposed suspect corruption in Maltese political and business circles, earning the wrath of those she targeted[2]. Her murder, a brazen and distressing act, marked a turning point in the fight for press freedom and transparency in Malta and Europe alike.
Caruana Galizia's investigative reports shed light on people within then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's inner circle, whom she accused of using offshore companies in tax havens, as revealed in the Panama Papers leak[2][3]. She didn't shy away from targeting the opposition and faced more than 40 libel suits at the time of her passing[2].
In response to the verdict, the Caruana Galizia family expressed their satisfaction, stating that it brings them one step closer to justice. However, they pointed out that the institutional failures that allowed her murder remain unaddressed and unchanged[4].
Vella and Agius faced additional charges in connection with the 2015 murder of Carmel Chircop, a lawyer[5]. Their co-defendants George Degiorgio and Adrian Agius, as well as Vella, Degiorgio, and Adrian Agius, were found guilty in connection with Chircop's murder. Robert Agius was exonerated in this charge[5]. The judge will decide on sentencing at a later date[5].
George Degiorgio and his brother Alfred Degiorgio admitted guilt in 2022, receiving 40-year sentences for their part in Caruana Galizia's assassination[6]. Vincent Muscat, who implicated himself in the Caruana Galizia murder, was given a 15-year sentence in 2021, following a presidential pardon on condition that he divulged the whole truth[7].
Meanwhile, Yorgen Fenech, a prominent Maltese businessman, awaits trial on charges of alleged involvement in the Caruana Galizia murder, currently out on bail[4].
[1] enrichment data: The bomb explosion happened outside Caruana Galizia's family home in Bidnija, Malta.[2] enrichment data: Caruana Galizia wrote extensively about suspected corruption in political and business circles in Malta.[3] enrichment data: Caruana Galizia targeted people in Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's inner circle in her investigative reports.[4] enrichment data: Yorgen Fenech is awaiting trial for complicity in Caruana Galizia's murder.[5] enrichment data: In addition to Caruana Galizia's murder, Vella and Robert Agius also faced charges in relation to the 2015 murder of Carmel Chircop.[6] enrichment data: George Degiorgio and Alfred Degiorgio were sentenced to 40 years each for their role in Caruana Galizia's murder.[7] enrichment data: Vincent Muscat received a 15-year sentence after being granted a presidential pardon for his role in the Chircop murder, on the condition that he told the truth about Caruana Galizia's murder.
In the aftermath of the verdict, the public and media are discussing the convictions of Robert Agius and Jamie Vella in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder case, with this trial being significant not just for Malta, but for general-news and crime-and-justice circles across Europe. As associates of Malta's criminal underworld, their actions not only resulted in Caruana Galizia's untimely death but also amplified the importance of confronting crime and upholding justice in politics.
