“Daphne’s brutal assassination continues to cast a dark shadow over Maltese public life,” said Pieter Omtzigt (Netherlands, EPP/CD), PACE rapporteur on the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and the rule of law in Malta, in a statement to mark 12 July 2020, the 1,000th day since her death.
“The tireless devotion of her family, the meticulous work of investigative journalists and the committed activism of civil society have kept Daphne’s name at the heart of the national conversation,” he continued. “Politicians and police officers have resigned or been sacked, because of Daphne. The criminal proceedings and public inquiry relating to her murder have revealed astonishing evidence of corruption, conspiracy, obstruction and incompetence. Much of what Daphne reported, once rejected as lies, has since been confirmed by independent public watchdogs. Many of those who stoked hatred against her in life have fallen into disgrace since her death.”
“Nevertheless, despite all of the protracted court proceedings, the interminable inquiries, the changes in personnel and the endless promises of reform, the most important results have still not been achieved. No-one has been convicted for Daphne’s murder. And none of her allegations of high-level corruption has been convincingly investigated by law enforcement bodies. The Maltese police must now establish Joint Investigation Teams with their foreign counterparts, or they will never get to the bottom of her murder or the multiple scandals that are associated with it.”
“Empty process and cosmetic change do not deceive me. I will not rest until there is justice for Daphne and her family and justice for the people of Malta, who continue to pay the price for corruption,” concluded Mr Omtzigt.
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