Malta: Men Convicted in Journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia's Murder
Colaboradores
Two men in Malta have been found guilty of supplying the explosives used in the 2017 assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Robert Agius, 41, and Jamie Vella, 42, were convicted after a six-week trial for their complicity in the car bombing that killed the 53-year-old reporter near her home.
Prosecutors are seeking life sentences for Agius and Vella, who are expected to be sentenced next week. The three hitmen who carried out the murder—brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio, along with Vince Muscat—have already been convicted.
Caruana Galizia's murder, which stemmed from her reporting on corruption and cronyism within Malta's political and business elite, sparked international condemnation and widespread protests. A public inquiry later revealed a "climate of impunity" created by the government, although no direct state involvement in the assassination was found.
Key Witness Testimony
Agius and Vella's arrest came four years after the murder, following Muscat's agreement to testify against them in exchange for a reduced sentence and a pardon in a separate case. Muscat's testimony proved crucial in the trial, where over 150 people testified, including Caruana Galizia's relatives, FBI agents, and a former government minister.
The Caruana Galizia family released a statement stating that these latest convictions brought them closer to justice, but highlighted that institutional failures that allowed the murder to happen remain unaddressed.
The Maksar Gang's Involvement
The convicted men were associated with the Ta’ Maksar gang. George Degiorgio, one of the hitmen already convicted, made a statement after the verdict that he would reveal the source of the bomb, implying further implications in the murder.
Separate Murder Conviction
Vella, along with Adrian Agius and George Degiorgio, was also convicted in connection to the 2015 murder of lawyer Carmel Chircop. Robert Agius was acquitted of involvement in Chircop's murder.
- Robert Agius and Jamie Vella convicted of supplying bomb.
- Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder sparked international outrage.
- Convictions bring family 'a step closer to justice'.