After more than two years of impunity for the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in a car bomb attack in Malta, the criminal investigation is finally progressing, with several arrests and resignations last week. But despite this apparent progress, Reporters Without Borders (Reporters Without Borders) believes that political resignations are not enough and demands that legal action be brought against the sponsors of this murder and all those involved as soon as possible.
Following his resignation on November 26, former Prime Minister Keith Schembri’s chief of staff is the last person to have been arrested in connection with the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi has also resigned, and Economy Minister Christian Cardona has ceased operations. The businessman Yorgen Fenech, owner of the 17 Black Company registered in Dubai, was arrested, interrogated and released three times. He has not yet been prosecuted, but remains under police surveillance and has asked for criminal immunity in exchange for information. Fenech’s personal physician, Adrian Vella, was also arrested in connection with the assassination.
One of the suspects, Melvin Theuma, has received a presidential pardon in exchange for information and is expected to testify before a magistrate on 29 November. Three henchmen, Alfred Degiorgio, George Degiorgio, and Vincent Muscat, also remain in detention following their arrest on 4 December 2017, without having been tried yet.
After two long years of impunity, we welcome the significant developments that the investigation into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia seems to be undergoing today,” said Rebecca Vincent, RSF’s UK Office Manager. They are the result of an intense campaign led by the family of Daphne Caruana Galizia and Maltese and international civil society, as well as journalistic work courageous journalistic work that continued despite the pressures. However, these measures are not sufficient for justice to be rendered. We demand that all goons, intermediaries and sponsors be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. “
Faced with all the obvious failings of the criminal investigation to date – as detailed in a report co-signed by RSF and The Shift New – RSF reiterates the need for an independent and impartial public inquiry to be conducted without further delay, and approves recent advances in the terms of reference and changes in the Committee of Inquiry. This measure remains essential to determine whether the State knew or ought to have known about the threat to Daphne Caruana Galizia; if the state could have acted to prevent this assassination; and what lessons can be learned for the future.
“For the country to be able to turn a page and move forward, all the light must be shed on what has happened and on those responsible for the killing, and all steps must be taken to ensure full justice , “ Says Pauline Adès-Mével, Head of the EU Office of RSF.
RSF also calls on the Maltese government to implement all the recommendations of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (PACE) Resolution of 26 June 2019 on the rule of law in Malta, which have not yet not taken into account, as highlighted by the PACE Committee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights in an information note published on 18 November 2019.
Four major protests have been held in the center of Valletta since Yorgen Fenech’s first arrest on 20 November. The protesters called for the resignation of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Malta ranks 77th out of 180 countries in RSF’s 2019 Press Freedom Ranking after falling 30 places in the last two years.
Copyright ©2016, Reporters Without Borders. Used with the permission of Reporters Without Borders, CS 90247 75083 Paris Cedex 02 https://rsf.org
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