A jury has heard that Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was investigating suspected corruption by businessman Yorgen Fenech and government officials when she was killed in a car bombing in 2017. Her son testified about her work on the Panama Papers and the Electrogas leak, which implicated Fenech.
The trial of Yorgen Fenech for the murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia sheds light on alleged high-level corruption in Malta and the risks faced by those who expose it. The testimony highlights the potential for significant political and economic implications if the allegations of corruption are proven.
A jury has heard that Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was investigating suspected corruption by businessman Yorgen Fenech and members of the Maltese government when she was killed in a car bombing in October 2017. Fenech is currently on trial for murder, accused of commissioning the killing.
Matthew Caruana Galizia, the journalist's son and a software engineer involved in the Panama Papers investigation, testified that he began assisting his mother with her work after discovering information directly relevant to Malta within the Panama Papers leak. He explained that this led to evidence suggesting Malta's then-energy minister, Konrad Mizzi, and the prime minister's chief of staff, Keith Schembri, had established offshore companies shortly after taking office.
Matthew Caruana Galizia described his mother's view that these officials were corrupt and had pursued power with the intention of engaging in corruption. He also detailed his involvement in processing another leak, consisting of thousands of emails from Electrogas, a company partly owned by Fenech. He stated that these emails indicated Fenech was at the center of the dealings related to the privatization of Malta's electricity infrastructure.
He recounted the day of his mother's death, hearing an explosion and witnessing the aftermath of her car bombing. Following the murder, Matthew Caruana Galizia established the Daphne Project to continue his mother's investigative work, collaborating with international publications to uncover those responsible. Fenech denies all charges against him, and the trial is ongoing.