The police in Malta have again identified a suspect suspected of involvement in the bombing of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The new suspect is believed to have connected the mastermind of the murder with the individuals who carried out the attack that killed the investigative journalist on October 16, 2017.
The arrest marks a new step in the investigation into the journalist's murder. The actual perpetrators of the bombing were arrested over a year ago and have already been indicted. However, the trial against the perpetrators has still not begun, presumably because revelations are expected about cooperation between criminals, businessmen, and top politicians.
Shortly before her death, the slain journalist had exposed a scandal from the Panama Papers. She accused staff members of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat of operating foreign shell companies. The prime minister’s wife was said to have benefited from this as the owner of the company Egrant in Panama. This company facilitated large sums of money circulating in transactions with a bank in Azerbaijan.
Soon after the murder, the government announced a reward of one million euros for information leading to the perpetrators. The murder led to protests in Malta. Demonstrators demanded a swift resolution of the case and an end to corruption in politics and among the authorities.
Initially, this led to an investigation in Malta that revealed close ties between major criminals, politicians, and businessmen. A 1500-page report has been completed but has not yet been made public by the Maltese Justice Department.
That corruption and cronyism also dominate judicial proceedings in Malta was further highlighted by a scathing report by Dutch parliamentarian Pieter Omtzigt. As rapporteur for the Council of Europe, he conducted months of research following the murder and revelations about, among other things, money laundering in Malta.
According to the report published this year by Omtzigt, Malta’s vulnerabilities pose a source of weakness for the entire European Union. Anyone who is a Maltese citizen is a citizen of the entire European Union. A Maltese passport allows free travel within the 26 European Schengen countries. Maltese banks provide access to the European banking system. ‘If Malta cannot or will not correct its weaknesses, European institutions must intervene,’ Omtzigt stated in his report.
Following this European criticism, Malta has now decided to conduct a new, fully independent investigation. The scope of the investigation has been expanded. While the original inquiry was set up to examine the “death” of the deceased journalist, the new terms repeatedly refer to murder.
Earlier investigation results will also be made public, and the family of Daphne Caruana Galizia will be allowed to read the full report. Additionally, two of the three members of the investigative committee have been replaced after consultation with the family of the murdered journalist, who disagreed with the previous appointments.
Furthermore, a connection is now being made with about twenty previous attacks in Malta over the past ten years. This also involves the involvement of several major companies and prominent (former) politicians.