Malta: CFWIJ Stands With Daphne Caruana Galizia’s Family As Her Murder Case Unfolds
Location: Malta
Date: March 25, 2021
Two brothers directly implicated in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia have requested a presidential pardon in exchange for information. The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation explicitly stated they would not support any pleas for pardon. CFWIJ stands with Daphne’s family and foundation through this tumultuous time.
Two brothers, George and Alfred Degiorgio, were arrested and accused of planting the car bomb that claimed Daphne Caruana Galizia’s life. In separate letters addressed to the President, the Degiorgio brothers requested a pardon in exchange for information about other criminal activities. Alfred Degiorgio offered the name of a former minister who planned the murder, as well as a supposed middleman, in exchange for immunity. While his brother, George Degiorgio, claimed he could provide information regarding two unsolved bomb-related crimes. The news of these requests was confirmed by their lawyer William Cuschieri to MaltaToday.
The Degiorgios were named in the testimony of Vincent Muscat, who recently confessed to Daphne’s murder. Seven men have been either arrested or accused of their involvement in the pre-meditated murder, including property and energy tycoon Yorgen Fenech, as well as Melvin Theuma, a taxi driver who confessed to being a middleman. Five of the seven accused men have proposed some sort of deal with the state in exchange for leniency in their sentencing.
The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation issued a statement clarifying they will not support any pardon requests. “Justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia means her murderers should not be pardoned. Past crimes should not be cashed as currency for killers to escape justice for murder,” the statement read.
The Coalition For Women In Journalism stands with Daphne’s family in these trying times. The extended trauma that Daphne’s loved ones have endured demands that justice is served in the case.
The CFWIJ strongly condemns the police brutality against journalists. We demand the immediate return of the press cards seized from the security forces. Policies to intimidate journalists should be abandoned, and journalism should be practiced under the criteria of freedom of the press.
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