Jury Convicts Two Men of Supplying Bomb Used in Daphne Caruana Galizia Assassination
Malta’s court convicts two men of complicity in Daphne Caruana Galizia's 2017 murder, marking a crucial step toward justice but highlighting ongoing systemic flaws.
After a trial spanning six weeks and covering two high-profile homicide cases, a Maltese jury has found Jamie Vella and Robert Agius guilty of complicity in the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The verdict, delivered late Thursday, marks a significant moment in Malta’s long-running quest for justice following the bomb attack that killed Caruana Galizia in 2017.
Vella and Agius were convicted for supplying the explosive device used to assassinate Caruana Galizia, whose car was rigged with a bomb that detonated as she drove near her home on October 16, 2017. Caruana Galizia, 53, had gained both national and international recognition for her fearless reporting, particularly on allegations of corruption within Malta's political and business elite. In the years preceding her death, she had written numerous exposés implicating members of then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat’s inner circle in secretive financial dealings unveiled by the Panama Papers. Her writings also scrutinized opposition figures, and at the time of her death, she was facing more than 40 libel suits.
The murder sent shockwaves through Europe and sparked mass protests across Malta, galvanizing calls for greater accountability and transparency within the country’s institutions. After the verdict, Caruana Galizia’s family expressed cautious relief, stating the decision brought them “a step closer to justice.” They also emphasized that, despite the convictions, the systemic weaknesses that allowed such an attack remain unresolved and continue to call for institutional reforms.
The scope of the trial went beyond the assassination of the journalist. Vella and Robert Agius, along with George Degiorgio and Adrian Agius, faced additional charges in connection with the 2015 shooting death of lawyer Carmel Chircop. The jury found Vella, Degiorgio, and Adrian Agius guilty in that case as well, while Robert Agius was acquitted of those charges. The sentencing for Vella and the Agius brothers is expected to be handed down at a later date, as the court weighs the gravity and complexity of the cases.
This verdict follows earlier convictions of other members involved in the Caruana Galizia murder plot. In 2022, George Degiorgio and his brother Alfred admitted to carrying out the bombing and were each sentenced to 40 years in prison. Another accomplice, Vincent Muscat, pleaded guilty in 2021 and received a 15-year sentence; he agreed to testify about the Chircop murder as part of a plea deal. The investigation has also ensnared prominent businessman Yorgen Fenech, who remains out on bail while awaiting his own trial on charges of complicity in the journalist’s killing.
The prosecution of those involved in Caruana Galizia’s murder has been closely watched within Malta and across Europe, viewed as a litmus test for the rule of law in the Mediterranean nation. While Thursday’s guilty verdicts represent progress in the complex and high-stakes investigation, many—especially the victim’s family and supporters of press freedom—insist that full justice requires deeper reforms to address the institutional failures that made such crimes possible.
