VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Madam Justice Edwina Grima sentenced four members of the Maksar criminal gang to life imprisonment today for their roles in the murders of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and lawyer Carmel Chircop.
The verdict followed a six-week trial that ended last week with guilty verdicts against brothers Adrian and Robert Agius, along with Jamie Vella and George Degiorgio. Justice Grima described the verdict as “strong,” rejecting defence arguments, and emphasized the crimes’ impact on society. She confirmed both murders were premeditated, taking into account the victims’ rights and the wider effects.
Robert Agius and Vella were convicted of supplying the car bomb that killed Caruana Galizia in October 2017, with an 8-1 jury verdict. Vella, Adrian Agius, and Degiorgio were also found guilty of the 2015 murder of Carmel Chircop, shot four times as he entered a garage. The court heard Caruana Galizia was murdered “for her journalism,” while Chircop’s killing was linked to debts Adrian Agius owed him. The sentencing was delivered after a brief postponement in a tense courtroom environment.
– photo IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
