Matthew Caruana Galizia Launches Appeal For Information On His Mother’s Murder
Journalist Matthew Caruana Galizia has launched his own appeal for information into the assassination of his mother Daphne Caruana Galizia.
His call was launched a few days after the police arrested ten men in connection with the murder and charged three of them – brothers George Degiorgio (Ic-Ciniz) and Alfred Degiorgio (Il-Fulu) and their accomplice Vince Muscat (Il-Kohhu).
However, for Matthew Caruana Galizia, who won a Pulitzer Prize earlier this year for his work on the Panama Papers, the arrests and arraignments change little.
“Whatever those politicians with a lot to lose say, the status of justice for my mother’s murder remains the same: complete impunity,” he said. “The arrest of lowlifes at the end of a long chain with inevitable links in government changes little. Whatever you have seen or heard or have to offer, come to us. I am a journalist and my sources are protected at law.”
“If you want to pass on information anonymously, or know someone who does, we can arrange that too.”
Also yesterday, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) called for an independent and impartial investigation into the murder, citing warnings from the Caruana Galizia family about the investigations by the Malta Police Force.
The family are concerned that the police are focusing solely on forensic evidence rather than examining financial transactions, that police leaks to the media could intimidate potential informants, and that the impartiality of assistant police commissioner Silvio Valletta is marred by his marriage to Gozo minister Justyne Caruana.
Notably, the IFJ’s call for an independent investigation goes way beyond that called for by the Institute of Maltese Journalists (IGM), the IFJ’s Maltese affiliates.
Anthony Bellanger, Secretary General of the International Federation of Journalists
The IGM’s reaction to the arraignments was to describe it as a “historic moment…where justice prevails in favour of freedom of the press” and to call on government to increase penalties for people convicted of assaulting, threatening or intimidating journalists.
“Although we join our affiliate in welcoming the recent arrests and charges against these suspects, and due to the claims of Daphne’s family, we urge for an independent and impartial investigation to be done, not only covering the superficial evidence of the killing but also going until the very end of the information Daphne was digging into,” IFJ general secretary Anthony Bellanger said. “A proper fair trial would be the best tribute to honor her memory and her legacy following all the years she has worked as investigative journalist in Malta.”
Their statement follows a warning by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) that the Maltese authorities have been unable to prove they are conducting the investigation into Caruana Galizia’s assassination in an impartial manner.
The Maltese government today criticised the RSF’s statement, arguing it falsely gives off the impression that the investigation was not conducted independently, was not international in nature and implies the government is giving political cover to people implicated in the murder.
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