Government employee Neville Gafa has been filmed removing flowers and tributes to Daphne Caruana Galizia that were laid at the foot of the Great Siege Monument in Valletta.

The wreaths were placed during a vigil held in front of the law courts commemorating eight years since the journalist was assassinated.

In a video taken in early hours of the morning and published by the Times of Malta, Gafa can be seen making several trips to and from the monument, carrying wreaths, flowers and candles away each time. They were later discovered in nearby dustbins.

The wreaths included some placed by embassies of European countries. The Dutch, German and Irish embassies issued statements condemning Gafa’s actions.

Repubblika president Vicki Ann Cremona described the incident as  “an outrage to democracy and a crime”, highlighting that it was especially serious given Gafa’s position as a government employee.

In comments to the Times of Malta after the story was published Gafa openly admitted to removing the tributes arguing that he had done so because of his  “civic responsibility” towards Malta’s cultural heritage.

“The Great Siege Monument is a national monument commemorating one of the most significant events in Maltese history – the Great Siege of 1565. It is a symbol of courage, unity, and national resilience. As such, it deserves the utmost respect and protection,” he told the Times.

Gafa insisted that he would continue removing tributes going forward.