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Jury in Malta acquits businessman in killing of investigative journalist
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- Maltese businessman Yorgen Fenech was acquitted by a jury of charges accusing him of masterminding the 2017 car bomb killing of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, with an 8-1 vote finding him not guilty on complicity and criminal conspiracy counts.
- Caruana Galizia was killed for her anti-corruption investigations exposing political and business corruption in Malta, which led to mass protests, the resignation of then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, and highlighted a culture of impunity in the country.
- Fenech’s arrest in 2019 triggered public outrage and political upheaval, but following his acquittal, his lawyer claimed the verdict showed the jury did not believe key prosecution testimony from a pardoned witness.
- Several other individuals connected to the murder have pleaded guilty or been convicted, receiving sentences ranging from 15 years to life imprisonment, while calls for judicial reforms and better protection for journalists continue in Malta.
- Caruana Galizia’s family expressed disappointment with the verdict, stating that institutional failures remain unaddressed and emphasizing the need for reforms to prevent similar risks to journalists in the future.
