LA VALLETTA (MALTA) (ITALPRESS/MNA) – The long-awaited trial of four men accused of involvement in the assassination of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has officially begun, nearly eight years after her murder sent shockwaves through Malta and the international community. A jury was empanelled on Wednesday to hear the case against brothers Robert and Adrian Agius — known as the ‘Ta’ Maksar’ brothers — along with Jamie Vella and George Degiorgio.
The men face a total of seven serious charges, including the voluntary homicide of Caruana Galizia in 2017 and lawyer Carmel Chircop in a separate 2015 case. Several of the accused are also charged with unlawful possession of explosives and firearms. Caruana Galizia, 53, was killed on October 17, 2017, when a remotely detonated car bomb exploded under her vehicle shortly after she left her home in Bidnija. The attack bore the hallmarks of a professional hit and marked a turning point in Malta’s political and judicial landscape.
Widely known for her fearless reporting on corruption, money laundering, and organized crime — much of it tied to powerful political and business figures — Caruana Galizia had been investigating high-profile scandals, including the notorious 17 Black company secret company based in Dubai tied to businessman Yorgen Fenech, when she was murdered. The assassination drew immediate global condemnation, with press freedom organizations, the European Parliament, and human rights advocates demanding justice.
The public outrage eventually led to a public inquiry, which concluded in 2021 that the Maltese state had created a “culture of impunity” that enabled her killing through systemic regulatory failures and political negligence. George Degiorgio, one of the men now on trial, previously admitted his role in the assassination during a 2022 interview. Investigators believe Robert and Adrian Agius supplied the explosive device used in the bombing, while Jamie Vella is accused of helping organize the logistics behind the operation.
The alleged mastermind, Maltese businessman Yorgen Fenech, was arrested in 2019 and is still awaiting trial. The trial is expected to shed further light on the extensive criminal network suspected of carrying out contract killings in Malta, with Caruana Galizia’s murder viewed as the most high-profile example of a broader pattern of violence and corruption.
The same group has also been linked to the murder of Carmel Chircop, a lawyer who was shot dead in 2015 in what initially appeared to be an unrelated case. However, recent testimony from Vincent Muscat — a key witness and one of the original three men charged in Caruana Galizia’s murder — connected the Agius brothers and Vella to both killings. Muscat reached a plea deal in 2021, receiving a reduced sentence in exchange for his cooperation.
Prosecutors allege that both murders were orchestrated by the same organized crime network, acting to silence perceived threats — whether journalistic or financial. For many, the opening of this trial represents a critical step forward in holding that network to account and securing justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia. The proceedings are expected to continue over several weeks, with public and media scrutiny remaining intense as Malta confronts the deep-seated issues exposed by one woman’s pursuit of the truth.
– photo Net News –
(ITALPRESS).
