Trial Of Four Men Allegedly Involved In Daphne Caruana Galizia And Carmel Chircop Murders Officially Begins
The trial of four men who stand accused either of direct involvement or complicity in the murders of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and lawyer Carmel Chircop has begun.
Robert and Adrian Agius – the Ta’ Maksar Brothers – Jamie Vella, and George Degiorgio are appearing in front of a nine-person jury today. The trial is set to hear several high-profile witnesses with the accused facing a life sentence if found guilty.
The testimony of convicted murderer Vince Muscat is a key element to this trial. Muscat reached a plea deal with prosecutors to provide information about Caruana Galizia’s murder and he is know serving a 15-year sentence.
He alleged that Agius and Vella supplied the bombs, showing him and the Degiorgio brothers how to arm it and detonate it. He further confirmed that the three men who carried out Caruana Galizia’s assassination were given €50,000 each.
Muscat has previously implicated former minister Chris Cardona and lawyer David Gatt in a terminated plan to kill Caruana Galizia two years before her assassination. Both deny these claims but are expected to be summoned as witnesses during the trial.
Muscat further testified that he was paid €20,000 for his role in Chircop’s murder. He said he, Vella and Degiorgio were hired by the Maksar brothers to shoot and kill Chircop.
Melvin Theuma – who confessed to being the middle man in Caruana Galizia’s assassination – is also expected to feature as a witness. He has previously provided the police with messages between himself and Yorgen Fenech which implicate him in the assassination which he denies.
Fenech is being tried separately as the mastermind in Caruana Galizia’s murder and he is currently out on bail but under strict restrictions.