VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Maltese businessman Yorgen Fenech was acquitted by a jury by 8 votes to 1 of instigating the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, killed by a car bomb in 2017. Fenech defended himself by claiming he merely acted as a messenger between the intermediary and Keith Schembri, former chief of staff to then-Prime Minister Muscat. The verdict sparked anger among family members, the opposition, and civil society, who spoke of “justice denied” and called for the true perpetrators to be identified. Opposition leader Alex Borg led a protest in Valletta, denouncing a “culture of impunity” and serious investigative shortcomings, including unseized evidence and leaks. The NGOs Repubblika and Occupy Justice, together with the Malta Journalists Institute, are now calling for an investigation into the alleged links between the crime and the cases of political corruption the journalist was exposing. While the government declares it respects the verdict and upholds rule of law reforms, the Public Prosecutor’s Office is preparing to appeal.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
