Murdered journalist’s family seeks inquiry into Malta PM
Daphne Caruana Galizia is calling for Malta’s prime minister, Joseph Muscat, to be investigated as part of the inquiries into her murder.
Muscat has announced he will quit in January, after investigators alleged links between his administration and those who ordered the killing.
He told reporters yesterday he intended to resign “more or less” on 12 January and would limit himself to day-to-day administration until then. But his refusal to go quickly has angered Caruana Galizia’s family, who have vowed to use all legal means to ensure he has no say over the murder investigation.
Her son Matthew yesterday confirmed the family was calling for an investigation into Muscat’s role. A legal letter from the family, first reported by the Times of Malta, urges authorities to ensure all relevant evidence is preserved, amid fears vital documents could be destroyed.
In parliament yesterday, Muscat defended his government’s handling of the murder. “The case showed that Malta’s institutions work and everyone is equal before the law,” he said.
Separately it emerged one of three men accused of Caruana Galizia’s murder has appealed to the Maltese president, George Vella, for a pardon in exchange for “providing all the information he knows on various facts”. Vincent Muscat (no relation to the prime minister) claimed an earlier plea for mercy was not handled in a “proper, correct and just manner”.
Protesters gathered near Malta’s parliament yesterday, and clips on social media showed the crowd booing as MPs entered the building, or chanting “assassins, resign now”.
A delegation of seven MEPs begins an urgent two-day fact-finding mission today. “Malta is a part of Europe, this concerns us all,” tweeted the Dutch MEP Sophie in ’t Veld, who is leading the mission. “Justice and truth must now prevail. There should not be impunity, no cover ups, and no culprit should escape trial.”
On Saturday, the Maltese property and gambling tycoon Yorgen Fenech was charged with complicity in the murder two years ago. He has pleaded not guilty. Investigators say they have uncovered links between Fenech and Muscat’s former chief of staff, Keith Schembri, who resigned last week.
