Daphne Caruana Galizia Assassination Suspects To Stand Trial, Court Rules
Courtroom sketches by Seb Tanti Burlo
The three men suspected of assassinating journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia will stand trial after magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit ruled the police had gathered enough prima facie evidence against them.
The Attorney General will now have to decide whether to take the case to trial by jury now or whether to continue presenting evidence against the three men – George Degiorgio (Ic-Ciniz), his brother Alfred Degiorgio (Il-Fulu) and Vince Muscat (Il-Kohhu).
The case has been adjourned to the 1st of February.
Today’s court sitting was a brief and relatively uneventful one, with the court hearing the testimony of three CID police officers – Brady Zammit, Josef Gerada and Darren Scerri – who had investigated the assassination.
The police elevated four USB sticks and an internet router from George Degiorgio’s Audi, as well as a modem, a pen drive, a Garmin GPs, an internet key and documents from Alfred Degiorigio’s Mercedes. Police did not find anything suspicious inside Vincent Muscat’s car, a Toyota Passo.
A search of Alfred Degirogio’s St Paul’s Bay house also yielded a modem, a dongle, a re-chargable battery, a €5 top-up Vodafone card and €4,800 in cash.
During the sitting, Darren Scerri presented the court with video footage he had taken of George Degiorgio sailing into the Grand Harbour on his cabin cruiser Maya.
After analysing the footage, legal aid lawyer Martin Fenech said the pictures were quite grainy and asked Scerri how he reached the conclusion that the man in the boat was in fact George Degiorgio.
“Do you know George Degiorgio? Have you ever met or spoken to him?” He asked.
Scerri stood his ground and insisted he was 100% positive the man was in fact George Degiorigo.
“I don’t know George Degiorgio personally and never spoke to him but yes, I’ve seen his photo and footage several times throughout my 12 years as a police officer.”
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