Maltese businessman acquitted in murder case of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia
A Maltese businessman has been acquitted of charges that he ordered the 2017 assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Although five other people have been convicted for their involvement in the bombing, the victim's family condemned the recent verdict as a failure of justice.
A Maltese businessman, who was accused of ordering the assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, has been acquitted by a jury after eight hours of deliberation. The journalist died in a car bomb attack while investigating high-level political corruption, a case that eventually led to the resignation of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in 2020. Fenech was arrested in 2019 while attempting to flee Malta on his yacht, though he consistently denied all allegations regarding his involvement in the crime.
The trial featured testimony from a middleman who claimed that Fenech had paid for the hit and covered the legal fees of the hitmen. While five other individuals have previously been sentenced for their roles in the bombing, including two who received life sentences, the family of Caruana Galizia expressed deep disappointment at Fenech's acquittal. An independent 2021 investigation concluded that the Maltese state shared responsibility for the murder by fostering a climate of impunity that allowed such violence to occur.
Based on reporting by parool. Translated and condensed by LocalHeadlines.
