New details surrounding the murder of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia have intensified public anger following the court’s decision to acquit tycoon Yorgen Fenech of masterminding her assassination.
Fenech whose business empire spans energy and tourism was arrested in 2019 while attempting to sail out of Malta after a middleman in the murder case was offered a pardon to identify those involved. Prosecutors had alleged that Fenech ordered the killing because Caruana Galizia was preparing to publish a compromising report about his uncle.
So far, five people have been convicted in connection with the murder. In June 2025, Robert Agius and Jamie Vella were sentenced to life imprisonment for supplying the bomb used in the attack. The three men who carried out the killing George Degiorgio, Alfred Degiorgio, and Vince Muscat are also serving prison terms.
A landmark 437‑page public inquiry published in 2021 found that the Maltese state had failed to protect Caruana Galizia, subjected her to political attacks, and created an “atmosphere of impunity” that enabled her assassination. Judges concluded there was “convincing evidence” that her killers believed they would be shielded by “persons in the highest state positions.”
Caruana Galizia’s family said accountability is “long overdue for all those who enabled, facilitated, or protected her murderers,” adding that nine years after her death, institutional failures remain “unaddressed and unreformed.”
Media watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said it was “beyond outraged,” warning that the verdict means Maltese authorities have still not identified or convicted the mastermind behind the killing. RSF urged Malta to implement long‑delayed protections for journalists and media freedom.
The Maltese government issued a brief statement saying it “took note” of the verdict and remained “committed to ensuring that justice is served.”
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