VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – Prime Minister Robert Abela said Malta’s courts must be allowed to work independently following Yorgen Fenech’s acquittal in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder trial.
Abela said he had exchanged correspondence with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, with both agreeing that Malta should await the outcome of the appeal.
He said the appeal would be heard by three judges, including the Chief Justice, and warned against political interference in the courts, the Attorney General’s Office or the police.
The prosecution is expected to appeal Fenech’s acquittal within the next five working-day period.
Justice Minister Clifton Grima also defended the independence of the courts, saying justice must be based on evidence and the law rather than assumptions. Grima said politicians should not decide who is guilty or innocent, stressing that this was a matter for the courts.
He said there could be disagreement with a verdict, but that this should not undermine the judicial process or the institutions responsible for administering justice.
Grima also addressed criticism of Malta’s jury system following Fenech’s acquittal, questioning why such criticism had not been raised before the verdict.
On the police questioning of four jurors, Grima said investigations should be taken seriously but stressed that an investigation was not a verdict.
He urged people not to draw conclusions before all the facts had been established, saying institutions should be allowed to complete their work.
Grima reiterated that there should be no impunity for those responsible for Caruana Galizia’s murder, while insisting that guilt must be established through evidence and according to law.
– foto IPA Agency –
(ITALPRESS).
