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On October 16, 2017, Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed by a car bomb near her home in Bidnija. The explosion hurled her car 80 meters into a field, where her remains were found by her son, Matthew. This was Malta’s sixth car-bombing since 2016. Despite prior threats, her protection had been reduced after Joseph Muscat, whom she investigated, regained power in 2013. Calls for a public inquiry into her death faced delays under Muscat’s government.
Journalist Information:
Name: Daphne Caruana Galizia
Age: 53
Gender: Female
DOB: 26/08/1964
Nationality: Pakistani
Last company worked for: Panama Papers
Family: Daphne left behind her legacy along with her loving husband and children.
Incident Information:
Date of incident – 16 October 2017
Location of incident – Puerto Princessa, Malta
Offense victim of: Assassination
Weapons included – Bomb
Daphne Caruana was killed close to her home when a car bomb was detonated inside her vehicle.
Suspect(s) Information:
Perpetrator Identified: Yes
Name: Alfred & George Degiorgio
Proof of Targeting the Journalist: Documents reviewed by Times of Malta reveal that one of the suspects drew up a last Will shortly after Alfredo Digiorgio, his brother George, and Vince Muscat were arrested and charged in court with planting the bomb in December 2017.
Reason for Killing: Her most recent revelations pointed fingers at Malta’s Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat, and two of his closest aides, connecting offshore companies linked to the three men with the sale of Maltese passports and payments from the government of Azerbaijan.
Progress of the Case: The first arrests were made in December 2017, when the brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio, along with Vince Muscat, were apprehended and charged with carrying out the bombing. Vince Muscat later admitted his involvement and was sentenced to 15 years in prison after striking a deal to provide evidence against others involved. However, while some justice has been served, the full truth behind her assassination still awaits the light of day.
Success Factor in Daphne’s Case: The success factor in Daphne Caruana Galizia’s case was relentless international and domestic pressure, including investigations by the Daphne Project, advocacy by her family, and EU involvement, which exposed high-level corruption and forced Malta to prosecute suspects—leading to a guilty plea and life sentence for one assassin and the resignation of top officials linked to the murder.
Read More: https://assassination.globalinitiative.net/face/daphne-caruana-galizia/