On Thursday night, two men were convicted in Malta for providing the explosives that were used in the 2017 murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, a crime that shocked the nation and garnered international attention.
Robert Aggius, 41, and Jamie Vella, 42, were found guilty of complicity in the murder of the 53-year-old investigative reporter, having supplied the military-grade explosives that detonated her car outside her home.
Their sentences are expected to be announced early next week, with prosecutors having requested a life sentence following a six-week trial.
Daphne Caruana Galizia, one of Malta’s most prominent journalists, was killed when her car, rigged with explosives, exploded on October 16, 2017.
Previously, two other individuals were convicted of murder and sentenced to 40 years in prison, while a third received a 15-year sentence in exchange for his testimony.
The assassination of the journalist, who exposed the favoritism and corruption within Malta’s political and economic elite, sparked widespread outrage.
Mass protests erupted in Malta against then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who faced accusations of shielding his associates during the investigation, ultimately leading to his resignation in December 2019.
A public inquiry released in 2021 found no evidence of state involvement in Caruana Galizia’s murder, but it concluded that the government fostered a “climate of impunity” for those wishing to silence her.
For her family, the guilty verdict handed down yesterday marks a significant “step towards justice.” However, they emphasized in a statement that eight years later, the systemic issues that allowed her murder remain unaddressed.
The trial for Jorgen Fenech, a former associate of Joseph Muscat’s government alleged to have ordered the killing, is still pending.
He was arrested in November 2019 while attempting to flee Malta on his yacht, released on bail in January 2020, and to date, a trial date has yet to be established.
According to Reporters Without Borders, the court ruling signifies “progress in the pursuit of justice,” and they called for the “swift conviction of the individual who orchestrated the murder.” They further urged the government to implement the recommendations made regarding journalist safety and press freedom in the 2021 public inquiry.
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