Hugo And Daphne: How Malta Reacted To Two High-Profile Murders Just 10 Months Apart
Last night’s death of Paceville mogul Hugo Chetcuti means Malta has, quite worryingly, witnessed two-high profile murders in just under ten months after Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated last October.
Two lives, both controversial figures of Maltese society, lost. Yet the public reaction to the two murders, while bearing a few similarities, were strikingly different.
1. The Prime Minister’s reaction (or lack thereof)
Joseph Muscat speaks to CNN about Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder
Daphne Caruana Galizia: As soon as her death was confirmed, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat convened a press conference at Castille in which he expressed his shock and sadness at the murder and pledged to leave no stone unturned to bring those responsible to justice. He repeated those same comments several times afterwards, in interviews with some of the world’s major news stations.
Hugo Chetcuti: Muscat did not so much as issue a tweet or press release to offer his condolences to Chetcuti’s family when the businessman was stabbed last week. As of the time of writing (5pm), he has not reacted at all to the murder and a request for reaction by Lovin Malta has been ignored. The murder of one of Malta’s most well-known businessmen undoubtedly risks turning into another stain on the country’s global reputation, and the Prime Minister’s silence could signal his concern that the story could blow up internationally.
Joseph Muscat’s Twitter feed – no mention of Hugo Chetcuti
2. The murder rumours
Daphne Caruana Galizia: Caruana Galizia was killed with a car bomb, a powerful method of execution that was clearly carefully planned in advance to not only ensure her death but to send a warning message to society. In fact, her murder was widely described as a mafia-style assassination, and this message picked up steam as activists warned that the murder reflects how Malta has been turned into a ‘mafia state’. As Caruana Galizia was a journalist, the ‘main suspects’ in this case were the people she was most critical of, which included Muscat and Delia themselves, former EU Commissioner John Dalli and the government of Azerbaijan.
The rumours didn’t die down following the arraignment of three men, as suspicions and investigations turned onto their motives for allegedly killing her.
Hugo Chetcuti: Although the murder method was not as dramatic as a car bomb, it was carried out in the busiest street of Paceville in the middle of a Friday night, which could have been intended to send a message of pure brazenness. Chetcuti was not stabbed in the heart but in the stomach, which could mean the killer – allegedly Serbian national Bojan Cmelik – wanted his death to be as painful as possible.
Cmelik had a connection to Chetcuti by virtue of his being a former employee, but rumours have nevertheless abounded that this was a contract killing. The man’s nationality and the manner of the killing also led police officials to tell L-Orizzont that this bore all the hallmarks a contract killing orchestrated by the Balkan mafia – a rumour that was debunked by police sources who spoke to Lovin Malta.
3. The media coverage
Journalists hold a demonstration in the aftermath of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder
Daphne Caruana Galizia: The journalist was one of the most well-known faces in Malta and her murder, completely out of the blue, stunned the nation. Although journalists and media houses differed greatly on their opinions of Caruana Galizia, shock and solidarity resonated throughout the industry and coverage of the murder was extensive. As she was the first journalist killed in the EU since the Charlie Hebdo terror attack, the murder got significant international coverage too.
Hugo Chetcuti: Local news coverage of the aftermath of Chetcuti’s murder has not been extensive, with a number of major Maltese news outlets – including The Times of Malta, MaltaToday and Newsbook- only reporting the announcement of his death last night. This is likely due to Chetcuti having been a controversial figure in his lifetime, with his critics – including the late Caruana Galizia – flagging his flashy lifestyle and involvement in strip clubs.
In fact, The Shift News editor Caroline Muscat went as far as to describe Chetcuti as a “drug lord” while journalist-blogger Manuel Delia accused him of turning Paceville into a haven for prostitution and sex trafficking.
4. The public reaction
The Bidnija field where Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed last October
Daphne Caruana Galizia: Apart from a few odd people, Malta was left reeling in the aftermath of Caruana Galizia’s murder, with the killing seen as more than an attack on a single person, but on journalism, freedom of speech and democracy in general. Thousands of people turned up to a hastily-organised candlelit vigil that same night, and this united front largely stayed intact until the first major protest at her murder – in which Opposition figures demanded that government officials shoulder political responsibility. The split between supporters and critics of the Labour government kept growing in the following months, with a communications aide to the Prime Minister eventually going as far as to suggest that Caruana Galizia’s family had orchestrated her killing.
The Paceville restaurant outside which Hugo Chetcuti was fatally stabbed last week
Hugo Chetcuti: Several people have taken to social media to express their shock at the murder and to offer their condolences to Chetcuti’s family, but no vigil or demonstration has been planned as of yet and business at Chetcuti’s own establishments has continued as usual. However, small memorials to Chetcuti have popped up near some of his establishments.
It took less than a day after Chetcuti’s death was confirmed for people to question why the Paceville mogul was being celebrated at all, given his ownership of strip clubs and his lifestyle. Such condemnation of Chetcuti was notably aired by both left-wing activists and activists from pressure group Occupy Justice – groups who rarely see eye to eye.
Here’s an Occupy Justice activist
Here’s a Moviment Graffitti activist
And here’s the director of Friends of the Earth
It remains to be seen how history will judge the two people, but the containment of the story of Chetcuti’s murder in Malta means it will ultimately be Maltese society which will decide where to place him.
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