An investigative journalist who exposed cronyism within Malta's political and business elite, Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed when her car was blown up in 2017
Two men have been charged in Malta with providing the bomb that killed anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Described as a "one-woman WikiLeaks" who exposed cronyism and sleaze within Malta's political and business elite, Caruana Galizia was killed when her car was blown up on October 16, 2017.
The murder sparked international outrage and protests that forced prime minister Joseph Muscat to resign.
The two 37-year-old suspects, Robert Agius and Jamie Vella, were charged on Wednesday, a judge announced, and are known to police for their links to organised crime on the island.
In December 2017, three other men were charged over the murder.
One of them, Vincent Muscat, pleaded guilty on Tuesday and was sentenced to 15 years in jail -- a relatively lenient sentence after the judge said he had been cooperating with police for years.
It was this dramatic turn of events that led to Agius and Vella being arrested later the same day.
They had both been arrested in the early stages of the investigation, but later released.
On Wednesday, both pleaded not guilty.
Vella, who has tested positive for coronavirus, appeared in court in full personal protective equipment.
Police commissioner Angelo Gafa said investigators believed they had now arrested and charged everyone involved in the murder.
Agius and Vella, along with two others, were also charged Wednesday with involvement in the 2015 assassination of lawyer Carmel Chircop.
ogie381 on February 25th, 2021 at 05:45 UTC »
I work with her son, Matthew, and the work he and journalists around the world are doing to expose corruption, keep her legacy alive, and bring the perpetrators to justice is nothing short of phenomenal. This story runs so deep, and has so many connections to influential people.
One of the best things you can do is support investigative journalism networks like Forbidden Stories, the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Network (OCCRP), the Global Investigative Journalism Network (GIJN), and others. COVID has decimated cross-border journalism, and their stories are more important than ever.
Thank you for keeping Daphne's legacy alive as well!
thejujubaby on February 25th, 2021 at 05:13 UTC »
How did the, obviously guitly PM, not get tied in?
Uglyheadd on February 25th, 2021 at 04:52 UTC »
Yorgen Fenech ordered the murder to try and cover up his crimes.