People attend a gathering in memory of Daphne Caruana Galizia, at La Valletta, in Malta. Malta is marking the 5th anniversary of the investigative journalist’s car bombing.
Rene ‘Rossignaud / AP
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Rene ‘Rossignaud / AP
People attend a gathering in memory of Daphne Caruana Galizia, at La Valletta, in Malta. Malta is marking the 5th anniversary of the investigative journalist’s car bombing.
Rene ‘Rossignaud / AP
VALLETTA, Malta – Malta on Sunday marks the fifth anniversary of the investigative journalist’s car bombing Daphne Caruana Galiziawith calls for justice and praise for the courage of a woman whose death has rocked Europe and exposed a culture of impunity on the Mediterranean island nation.
More than 1,000 Maltese residents joined Caruana Galizia’s relatives, activists and the Maltese president of the European Parliament in a night-time march and vigil at a makeshift memorial opposite the Valletta’s law court. There is also the sister of the Italian anti-Mafia investigator Giovanni Falcone, who was assassinated by the mob himself in a highway bombing in Sicily in 1992.
The celebration comes just two days after the two main suspects reversed course on the first day of the trial and pleaded guilty to the murder. But other cases are still pending in Maltese courts and both the government and opposition leaders have called for justice to be brought.
Caruana Galizia wrote extensively about being suspected of corruption in political and business circles in the EU, and was killed on October 16, 2017, when a bomb placed under her car exploded while she was driving. near the house. The murder shocked Europe and sparked angry protests in Malta.
A 2021 public investigative report found that the state of Malta “should be held accountable” for the murder because of a culture of impunity stemming from the highest levels of government. But most recently, last month, the European Council’s human rights commissioner decried the “lack of effective results in establishing accountability.”
During the night vigil, one of Caruana Galizia’s nieces, Megan Mallia, read a message on behalf of her family saying that the assassination of an anti-corruption investigative journalist like her aunt “robbed her of the right to understand people’s reality. they live.”
The men who ended Daphne’s life knew this, she said. “They are not afraid of the government of the country, or of their own conscience. They are afraid of the thousands of people who have chosen to light candles to dispel the darkness.”
Mandy Mallia, sister of the late journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, lights candles in front of her sister’s remains in Valletta, Malta, on Friday.
Jonathan Borg / AP
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Jonathan Borg / AP
Mandy Mallia, sister of the late journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, lights candles in front of her sister’s remains in Valletta, Malta, on Friday.
Jonathan Borg / AP
Caruana Galizia, 53, is a leading Maltese investigative journalist who has targeted insiders of then Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, whom she accuses of having offshore companies. in tax havens revealed in the Panama Papers leak. She also targeted the opposition. When she was killed, she was confronted with more than 40 smeared suits.
“Throughout her life, Daphne Caruana Galizia has always followed one principle in her investigative stories: She always does what she is supposed to do. Not what benefits her. Not what is convenient. Not what is popular. But what is right,” EU Parliament President Roberta Metsola told those at the ceremony.
The anniversary coincides with the trial of those accused of carrying out the bombing
The celebrations come two days after the trial opened for brothers George Degiorgio, 59, and Alfred Degiorgio, 57, who are accused of carrying out the bombings. After several hours of hearings, they refused to plead guilty and were sentenced to 40 years in prison each. The sentencing has brought the number of people to death, after Vincent Muscat pleaded guilty last year to his part in the murder and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.
Yorgen Fenech, a top businessman with ties to the former government, is awaiting trial following a 2021 indictment for alleged complicity in murder and attempted murder. His arrest in 2019 sparked a series of mass protests in the country, culminating in the resignation of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.
Fenech pleaded not guilty to all charges during pre-trial evidence gathering. Two other men have been charged with providing bombs and are currently conducting pre-trial evidence gathering. They pleaded not guilty.
A self-confessed middleman, taxi driver Melvin Theuma, was pardoned by the president in 2019 in exchange for testimony.
Maltese Archbishop Charles Scicluna opened Sunday’s celebrations by celebrating Mass at Bidjna church near where Caruana Galizia lives, saying murder can never be “business as usual”. and emphasize the need for justice, even if it upsets the powerful.
Later, activists, family members and Metula chaired a silent meeting at the site of the bombing. They planted a banner saying “Justice” in the ground along with a large poster featuring the journalist’s face and arranged flowers in the shape of the number five. They featured Maria Falcone, whose brother Giovanni and his wife, as well as three bodyguards who were killed by a bomb placed on the Sicilian highway on May 23, 1992.
Falcone later thanked the crowd at the ceremony for coming in such large numbers, saying their presence showed that Caruana Galizia’s murder would not be in vain.
She urged Maltese to move on, saying that Italy had paid the price with death because of its terrifying history of organized crime. “I want you to take our society as an example to understand what a terrible evil is, and what is even greater evil is the relationship and agreement between the Mafia and politics,” she said.
“As Giovanni used to say: ‘Do your job no matter what,'” his sister said. “Giovanni and Daphne did this, but now our job is to memorize them day in and day out.”
