Degiorgios heard nothing about pardon request; insist former, sitting ministers involved in criminal activity

The Degiorgio brothers have not received any information about their pardon request, they said on Wednesday. In a statement issued yesterday morning, published by lawyer William Cuschieri, who appears on behalf of the Degiorgio brothers, they reiterated that they have information that should lead to a mastermind who was a Government Minister and a middleman in the case of the homicide of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

They also said that they have information regarding a former minister as well as a current minister in relation to another crime.

The Degiorgios are currently charged with carrying out the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

The statement by the Degiorgios’ lawyer reads: “They are prepared to say the whole truth. They are following closely and keeping themselves informed with regard to all that is happening in connection with the accusations brought against them. They made requests to the President of the Republic of Malta for the granting of a Presidential Pardon (George Degiorgio on the 10th March, 2021 and Alfred Degiorgio on the 22nd March, 2021) and to give all the information they have in connection with the said accusations and with other crimes which happened in the past.”

“The information which they have in their possession is direct evidence and is not hearsay evidence or detto del detto. Such information should lead to a mastermind who was a Government Minister and a middleman in the case of the homicide of Daphne Caruana Galizia. With regard to such persons, no proceedings were taken and they were not given a Presidential Pardon. They also have direct information which is not hearsay which shows the involvement of a mastermind who was a Government Minister and of a sitting Government Minister in another case where a very serious crime was committed.”

“They have not received any communication after their requests, when it is expected that such requests and such information which they can give should be treated seriously and expeditiously,” the statement by the lawyer read.

“They were and still are seriously concerned regarding how their requests can be considered serenely and with justice because there exists at least the possibility of an actual conflict of interest in those who, in accordance to law, should grant their recommendation about the said requests and thus the whole truth will remain unknown.” “It was for this purpose that in June 2019 they had requested to speak to the Members of the European Parliament Ana Gomes and David Casa. The State has to be in a position to listen to the information they have and not be hindered from hearing such information due to conflicts and from considering in accordance to law the requests made by them,” the statement concludes.

Previously, the family of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia spoke out against the idea of offering a pardon to the Degiorgios.

Full justice will not be served if Daphne’s killers receive a presidential pardon, the slain journalist’s family had said. “Justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia means her murderers should not be pardoned. Past crimes should not be cashed as currency for killers to buy their way out of justice for murder. Crimes should be solved and criminals brought to justice, but not at the expense of denying Daphne the justice she deserves. She has already given too much for that.”