Life Sentences for Jamie Vella and Robert Agius in Daphne Caruana Galizia Bomb Plot

Jamie Vella & Robert Agius found guilty of supplying Daphne Caruana Galizia’s car bomb; sentenced to life, justice served.

On 16 October 2017, investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed by a car bomb near her home in Bidnija after years of reporting on corruption, offshore companies, and the business–politics nexus in Malta. Her assassination shocked Europe and ignited a national reckoning over the rule of law and media freedom.

Justice has moved in steps. In 2022, brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio admitted their role and received 40-year sentences, while Vincent Muscat had earlier pleaded guilty and was jailed for 15 years. In June 2025, a jury found Robert Agius and Jamie Vella guilty of supplying the bomb, and a court then sentenced them to life in prison. These verdicts marked a major advance yet left the central question unresolved.

The alleged mastermind, businessman Yorgen Fenech, awaits trial. In early 2025, he was released on bail, and a court order restricted news coverage of his proceedings. Press freedom groups have condemned the blackout and urged open justice, while Maltese courts continue to hear constitutional challenges related to the case. Transparency around this stage is now a test of the system’s credibility.

Accountability is broader than convictions. A 2021 public inquiry found that the Maltese state created a climate that placed Daphne at risk and failed to protect her. In July 2025, the European Commission reported that reforms remain incomplete. Civil society also warned that an April 2025 law made it harder for citizens to trigger corruption inquiries, a step critics say weakens oversight. Real closure means implementing the inquiry’s recommendations, ensuring open courts, and building institutions that protect reporters before threats turn deadly.

To read the full story: https://tjcproject.org/justice-in-malta-sentences-in-the-daphne-caruana-galizia-assassination/