Malta: Officials 'seeking to stall' inquiry on journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder

Daniel Boffey
The Guardian
Wed, 13 Jun 2018 20:11 UTC

© Darrin Zammit Lupi/Reuters

People hold up pictures of the assassinated journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia during a vigil and demonstration in Valletta, Malta, marking seven months since her murder.

The EU's top justice official is to fly to Malta this week to meet officers investigating the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia after a report accused the authorities of seeking to delay and stall attempts to find those who wanted the journalist dead.

Věra Jourová, the commissioner for justice, is to seek assurances and ask "difficult questions" about the criminal investigation, which has been criticised by members of the European parliament.

A report from MEPs, on an "ad hoc mission" led by the German MEP Sven Giegold, has highlighted a series of concerns about the investigation, warning that the hunt for the journalist's killers appears to be in jeopardy. Caruana Galizia's son, Matthew, tweeted on Wednesday in response to the findings: "This is outrageous."

Jourová, the Czech Republic's representative in the commission, told the Guardian: "The issues in Malta go beyond this island, they concern the whole of the EU. My role, as a European justice commissioner, is to sometimes ask difficult and honest questions, especially on the issues that affect all of us.

"The commission expects an independent and thorough investigation to uncover who is really responsible for Daphne's murder, we want the full truth. There is no place in the EU for the murder of journalists."

The delegation of MEPs have warned in their report that the magistrate in charge of the investigation is being promoted and moved off the case, in a development that could slow down its progress.

They claim police are not following leads to discover the identity of those who ordered the car bombing that killed Caruana Galizia in 2017.

It is further claimed by the three MEPs sent to Malta on behalf of the parliament's political groups that officers have failed to "fully investigate" the witnesses who claim they saw Malta's minister of economy, Chris Cardona, drinking with one of three suspects being held on suspicion of detonating the bomb.

Cardona and his aide Joseph Gerada were suing Caruana Galizia for defamation over her claims that the pair had visited a brothel in Germany while on official government business. Her reports have been described by Cardona as "fabrications and lies".

Cardona has said that he only knew the suspects in her murder through his work as a criminal lawyer, but that he did not "recall having any discussions with any of these individuals, and have definitely never had any meetings with them".

Last year, a pre-trial hearing of evidence against the suspects, brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio and Vince Muscat, heard that the powerful car bomb used to kill Caruana Galizia was detonated by a mobile phone signal sent from a boat off the island's coast as part of a carefully planned operation lasting several months.

The three have pleaded not guilty to charges of murder, the criminal use of explosives, involvement in organised crime, and criminal conspiracy. However, there appears to have been little progress in discovering who ordered the crime.

The MEPs write: "The investigation on the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia is stalling. People we spoke to suspect that the plan may be to ensure the blame rests with the three suspected bombers and to eventually let them go free, after 20 months of detention."

"Magistrate Vella, who has been in charge of the murder investigation, has been offered a promotion to become a judge and should, in a few weeks, leave the case. This is interpreted by many as a way to delay and stall the investigation.

"The police is ostensibly not following all relevant leads to find out who ordered the assassination. Excuses provided go from lack of resources to impossibility to investigate all people exposed by the deceased who might have had a motive to silence her.

"Quite shockingly, the police appeared not to have thoroughly investigated witness accounts - published by international media - that minister of economy Chris Cardona had been seen drinking with one of the suspects prior to their arrest."

A spokesman for the Maltese government said the report had been drafted "by three MEPs after a visit to Malta in a private and political capacity, and not on behalf of the European Parliament or any of its committees". He accused the parliamentarians of making "wild allegations" which are "absolutely and completely false".

The spokesman said: "There is no evidence to support the theory that the investigation is 'stalling'. Three people have been arrested and charged with the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, and the investigation in to who ordered her murder carries on at pace. "Significant Police and Security Service resources are still deployed on the case."

It is understood that Jourová is to speak to Malta's minister for justice, Owen Bonnici, and the country's leading judge on Thursday, before meeting the officers investigating Caruana Galizia's murder. She is also due to lay flowers on the journalist's tomb.

Jourová said would also raise issues over Malta's offer of passports for cash and its flailing attempts to clamp down on organised crime and money laundering.

Jourová said: "I think the murder of a journalist was a wake-up call for many of us and a clear realisation that many things are related to one another. Money laundering, citizenship for sale, security, corruption are all part of the systemic threats to the rule of law and democracy as such."

Comment: Previously:

• New evidence emerges further implicating three suspects arrested in connection with Daphne Caruana Galizia murder
• 10 suspects arrested in murder of Maltese investigative journalist
• 'Mafia State': Thousands protest slaying of anti-corruption journalist in Malta, demand justice for murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia
• Malta investigative journalist assassinated in possible Gladio B op

Here is an interesting article published in The Times of Malta on the 27th of March, 2018:

British MP highlights Caruana Galizia murder investigation as The Spectator links Henley & Partners to Cambridge Analytica Henley & Partners says it never had a relation with CA

A British Labour MP has urged UK ministers to ensure that the Maltese authorities investigating Daphne Caruana Galizia's death have full UK support and cooperation "given the very significant British links".

Ben Bradshaw said Ms Caruana Galizia while investigating alleged corruption at Pilatus Bank was also investigating political consultancy firm Cambridge Analytica.

Speaking during a debate in the House of Commons on the EU referendum and alleged breaches of electoral law, former minister Mr Bradshaw said: "I have received other information which is related to this, which is new, which also really concerns me.

"Honourable members will recall the dreadful murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta last year. At the time that she was murdered I'm informed that Ms Caruana Galizia was investigating the Pilatus Bank, which has since been frozen, was frozen last week because of money laundering fears.

"She was also investigating Cambridge Analytica and Henley and Partners. Henley and Partners is a company that sells citizenship in Malta.

"And there are other links here, with the Legatum Institute, concerns about which I have already raised in this House several months ago.

"And the mysterious Maltese professor, Professor Joseph Mifsud, who is named in an indictment by Robert Mueller's inquiry.

"All of these matters need to be looked into incredibly carefully, and I would like the minister when she responds to this debate to give me a full and categorical assurance that the Maltese authorities who were investigating this, given the very significant British links, will receive the full support and co-operation they need from our law enforcement, intelligence and security agencies."

The Spectator links Henley & Partners to Cambridge Analytica

Meanwhile, British political magazine The Spectator in a feature article has homed in on close links between Alexander Nix, the suspended CEO of Cambridge Analytica and the chairman of Henley and Partners, Christian Kalin.

Their links go back 10 years.

It described how the two worked together on general elections in the Caribbean in countries where 'citizenship-by-investment' programmes (the sale of passports) was introduced.

At St Vincent and the Grenadines, Dr Kalin worked with Arnhim Eustace, leader of the opposition.

In emails seen by the Spectator, Dr Kalin describes to Mr Eustace what "we could do with you once you are in government."

Dr Kalin listed various investments that Mr Eustace could count on if he won the election, such as a large residential and hotel development, a new chain of retail banks from "an important international banking group", a construction group to invest in major infrastructure projects, as well as input from "a global player in private aircraft services" and from "several of the world's most experienced international tax specialists."

"Henley & Partners says it 'does not get involved in political campaigns' - but here was its chief briefing a candidate on what to say on the stump. Such promises are not necessarily illegal, nor are they even corrupt," the Spectator says.

Henley told the newspaper that Dr Kalin's email "does not suggest any impropriety".

The journal also reports on Christian Kalin's "most controversial contract" for the sale of Maltese passports.

Journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia repeatedly criticised these arrangements, it observes.

She wrote on her blog that she had received 'a series of harassing and threatening letters' from a London-based law firm, requesting her to remove her posts relating to Henley & Partners.

And she posted an email to her from Christian Kalin which said: 'everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion... I would like to ask you once again politely to remove any defamatory and incorrect statements.'

"Malta is not St Kitts and Nevis," she snapped back.

"One of the tragedies of her death is that the questions she raised about the Maltese passport scheme remain unanswered. Just over a week after her death, the Maltese prime minister Joseph Muscat went to a 'Global Citizenship' conference in Dubai, hosted by Henley & Partners, to tell the world that Malta was 'open for business'.

"But what kind of business?"

We've never had relations with CA - Henley & Partners

Henley & Partners insisted it has never had any formal working relationship with Cambridge Analytica in the Caribbean or elsewhere.

Additionally, neither Henley & Partners nor its chairman Mr Kälin, has ever provided funding for any election campaign, and there has never been any form of connection between the granting of any government mandate and any election.

"Our interest is solely in working with governments to establish (or improve) residence- and citizenship-by-investment programs. In this context, we naturally sometimes also interact with political leaders of opposition parties that are interested in the topic of investment migration for the purpose of their economic-policy agendas."

As such, any suggestion of wrongdoing in this regard on the part of Henley & Partners or Dr Kälin would be incorrect and misleading, it said.

It said Henley & Partners signed a mandate with the St Kitts and Nevis government in mid-2006 to revise and relaunch the country's citizenship-by-investment program from 2007.

In principle, it was agreed that if Mr Eustace's party were elected to government (which it ultimately was not), then Henley & Partners would be interested in helping it develop a citizenship-by-investment program for St Vincent and the Grenadines, as a way to provide much-needed investment for the country.

"Henley & Partners, as a matter of business focus, is interested in any country where a government may be considering residence- or citizenship-by-investment as a means of attracting foreign direct investment."

Henley & Partners said it is committed to working closely with all stakeholders to ensure that the highest levels of due diligence and international best practice are applied in the design, establishment, and operation of residence- and citizenship-by-investment programs, and in the reviewing and processing of each residence or citizenship application.