Maltese businessman cleared in journalist murder reignites concerns over probe and press freedom

In a September hearing, a Maltese court cleared businessman Yorgen Fenech of the charges that he arranged the 2017 car-bomb attack that killed investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The acquittal, decided by a vote of 8-1, has sparked renewed criticism of the police investigation, the prosecutor's actions and the treatment of crucial evidence. Shami Chakrabarti, a special rapporteur for the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, highlighted Malta's vulnerability to high-level corruption and the need for stronger protections for journalists.

The European Parliament announced plans to send a monitoring delegation to examine the case and the broader justice system. Maltese Prime Minister Robert Abela reiterated his trust in the country's courts but noted that filing an appeal on procedural ambiguities remains a possibility. The case follows earlier convictions of two brothers and other accomplices linked to the murder, underscoring the ongoing struggle over accountability and press freedom in Malta.