Daphne Caruana Galizia assassinated

The car bomb that killed journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia (inset) sent shockwaves through the nation
and marked the first time a member of the press in Malta has been assassinated. The picture shows candles placed at the Love monument in St Julian’s by shaken citizens during a vigil the day after the incident. Ms Caruana Galizia, who exposed the Panama Papers scandal in Malta, was Malta’s best-known investigative journalist. Her Running Commentary blog was one of the most widely read websites in Malta. In 2016, she was named by Politico as one of ‘The 28 people who are shaping, shaking and stirring Europe’.

What made the headlines

Widespread condemnation of murder: The killing of Daphne Caruana Galizia will go down as one of the nation’s darkest episodes, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said. Describing the murder as “barbaric”, Dr Muscat said the killing of Ms Caruana Galizia went against the values of any democracy. Opposition leader Adrian Delia called the murder of Ms Caruana Galizia a “political killing” which showed that the rule of law and freedom of expression in Malta had collapsed. He said Dr Muscat was to blame for this collapse and called for an investigation to be carried out independently.  The murder was also condemned by Archbishop Charles Scicluna, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, the Institute of Maltese Journalists and numerous NGOs and social partners.

International denunciation: Pope Francis, European Parliament president Antonio Tajani, European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker, European Council president Donald Tusk, chairman of the European People’s Party in the European Parliament Manfred Weber, Wikileaks founder Julian Assange, the US State Department and the International Consortium of Investigative Journalists all strongly condemned the killing of Ms Caruana Galizia.

Semtex possibly used in deadly blast: Semtex, often used by terrorist organisations in large-scale attacks, is believed to have caused the blast that killed Daphne Caruana Galizia, police sources told the Times of Malta. The sources also said the bomb was likely triggered using a mobile phone.

Magistrate accepts to abstain from investigation: Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera withdrew from leading the inquiry into the murder of Ms Caruana Galizia following an application in court by the family of the slain journalist, who called on her to abstain. The magistrate had been the subject of criticism by Ms Caruana Galizia and had later sued her. Magistrate Anthony Vella was assigned to conduct the inquiry.

Delia says Muscat must resign: Opposition leader Adrian Delia called on the Prime Minister to resign, saying his position had become untenable in the wake of the government’s failure to safeguard the life of Ms Caruana Galizia. Speaking in Parliament, in what was meant to be his reaction to the Budget speech, the PN leader said the car bomb attack had rendered everything else irrelevant. Dr Delia accused the Labour government of eroding the country’s fundamental institutions, saying the rule of law was failing. He also called for the sacking of Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar and Attorney General Peter Grech.

EP to hold urgent debate on rule of law in Malta: The European Parliament is to hold an urgent debate on Tuesday on the rule of law in Malta following the assassination of Ms Caruana Galizia. As sign of respect, the EP’s Panama Committee observed a minute of silence in her honour.

Journalists ‘will not be silenced’: Maltese journalists condemned the murder of Ms Caruana Galizia during a protest in Valletta, and the Institute of Maltese Journalists filed an application in court asking the inquiring magistrate to protect her sources. “We stand here to condemn this barbaric act, which not only destroyed the life of a journalist but tried to stifle the right to freedom of expression,” the journalists said in a statement.

Police crime conference – no information given: After being completely absent from the public eye for three days after the murder of Ms Caruana Galizia, the Commissioner of Police, Lawrence Cutajar, decided to give a crime conference. However, journalists were left perplexed after Mr Cutajar insisted he could not divulge any information because of the magisterial inquiry under way.

‘Suspicious’ vehicle seen near car bomb scene: A ‘suspicious’ vehicle that was seen at a vantage point overlooking the road where Ms Caruana Galizia was murdered is being treated as a key lead in the investigation into the brutal car bombing, the Times of Malta revealed. Sources said the car is believed to have potentially been used by the person who detonated the powerful explosive device.

What trended

A dark week

It will come as no surprise to The Sunday Times of Malta readers that it was the savage murder of controversial journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia on Monday that dominated the headlines this week, taking up the bulk of news pages in the paper and traffic to timesofmalta.com.

“I am devastated, I am truly in shock, this is one of the worst days of my life,” reader Janette Abela wrote on the news story that reported Ms Caruana Galizia’s murder.

The commissioner’s press ‘fiasco’

Journalists and civil society called for it for days, but when the police finally caved in and decided to give a crime conference on Thursday many wished they hadn’t.

“What a joke. This is actually embarrassing. I don’t know what’s worse, the Police Commissioner’s statement, or that he is the one we are trusting to investigate crimes like this,” reader Jeremy Attard wrote on a Times of Malta Facebook post sharing the report of the conference.

The report was shared hundreds of times on social media amid mounting calls for Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar’s resignation.

“This is not what a serious country looks like,” reader Alberto Fabiano wrote in a post sharing the news report.

Vigils and vigilance

Civil society stood up to be counted this week in a series of symbolic gatherings, vigils and manifestations that will come to a head in a national demonstration in Valletta today.

People gathered to pay their respects in front of the law courts, Parliament and the Office of the Prime Minister, but the largest manifestation was held just a few hours after Ms Caruana Galizia’s assassination, with thousands of people walking from Sliema to the St Julian’s Love monument carrying lit candles.

However, a similar demonstration organised by the University Student Council (KSU) made the headlines for the wrong reasons, as readers were outraged that fewer than 100 turned up to pay their respects at the Msida campus on Wednesday night.

“If this was about stipends, or parking they would have been there in their thousands. Students today just don’t give a damn,” reader Jason Falzon wrote in a comment beneath the news report.

What they said

“There are crooks everywhere you look now. The situation is desperate.”

Murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia’s last words on her blog.

“Is Malta a member of the EU or a banana republic? The attack is a scandal without precedent.”

MEP Werner Langen, chairman of the Pana Committee, expressing his shock at the assassination of Ms Caruana Galizia.

“Everyone has their own way of reacting to this. History will not judge what we have said on Facebook. Everyone can start pointing fingers but at this time we need unity”.

Prime Minister Joseph Muscat speaking after Ms Caruana Galizia’s murder.

“Our message is this: you have to go. Your position is no longer tenable.”

Opposition leader Adrian Delia telling Joseph Muscat to resign and assume political responsibility for Ms Caruana Galizia’s murder.

“Allowing Daphne Caruana Galizia to be so cruelly murdered is a failure of the State, its government and its institutions.”

Former Nationalist Cabinet minister Louis Galea on Malta’s failure to protect Mrs Caruana Galizia.

“Daphne Caruana Galizia has been killed. The rule of law has collapsed. Our democracy is at stake.”

Former Nationalist leader Simon Busuttil expressing his shock at Ms Caruana Galizia’s killing.

“This was an attack on all of us, on the very fabric of our fragile, young democracy in Malta.”

Nationalist MEP Roberta Metsola in an opinion piece after the assassination of Ms Caruana Galizia.

“To the cowards who carried out this attack, our message is one and clear: we will not stop.”

A defiant statement from journalists during a protest march in Valletta called to condemn the murder of Ms Caruana Galizia.

“The Holy Father also assures you of his spiritual closeness to the Maltese people at this difficult moment, and implores God’s blessings upon the nation.”

A letter to Archbishop Charles Scicluna from Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, expressing the Pope’s sorrow at the murder of Ms Caruana Galizia.