Alfred and George Degiorgio, the two brothers charged with the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, have called on former minister Chris Cardona and sitting minister Carmelo Abela to testify in a constitutional case over the rejection of their presidential pardon.

Vince Muscat, the third hitman in the assassination who has pleaded guilty in return for a reduced sentence, has already implicated Cardona in assassination and a separate plot to murder Caruana Galizia. He also allegedly implicated Abela in the failed HSBC heist of 2010. 

The Degiorgios had requested a pardon in order to reveal the identity of an as yet unidentified mastermind in the murder, who they claim to have been a sitting minister at the time. 

They also claimed they are ready to provide information on crimes relating to aggravated theft and homicide, by naming two masterminds, one of whom was a minister and one of whom is currently a minister, as well as all people involved in the crime.

However, the pardon was rejected by Cabinet. The brothers have since written to the President directly to approve the pardon.

Lawyer William Cuschieri noted that the brothers had heard of their pardon being rejected through media reports and were not provided with official communication on their request. 

The lawyer also said it “made no sense” for the AG and Commissioner of Police to advise against the pardon without given them some form of fair hearing; “the Cabinet rested on advice delivered to them in abstract fashion… neither does it make sense for the President to rest on such a recommendation.”

He noted that the pardon created a conflict of interest in the government with former and sitting ministers implicated in the allegations.

Daphne Caruana Galizia’s family have been vociferously opposed to granting the men a pardon, arguing that the mechanism allowed criminals to walk free in lieu of proper police work.