Caruana Galizia murder almost thwarted by mobile with no credit

George Degiorgio was on his cabin cruiser outside the Grand Harbour just before 3pm on 16 October when he realised that the mobile phone from which the killer SMS was to be sent had no credit.

Italian newspaper La Repubblica reports today that Degiorgio, who stands accused with Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder, used his personal mobile to phone a friend at one of the telecoms companies to top up another phone with €5 credit.

The second phone was the one Degiorgio used to send the fatal SMS at around 3pm which detonated the bomb that killed Caruana Galizia.

La Repubblica reports that the mobile phone from which the SMS was sent, was found in the sea at Marsa next to the potato shed where Degiorgio and the two others accused of complicity with the crime were arrested.

After detonating the bomb, at around 3.30pm, Degiorgio sent an SMS from his personal phone to his wife asking her to “open a bottle of wine for me, baby”.

MaltaToday yesterday reported that the fatal SMS was sent from a cabin cruiser belonging to Degiorgio, which was also captured in Monday’s police raid.

Sources close to the investigation now confirm that the killers used sophisticated electronic equipment to open Caruana Galizia’s car by bypassing the central locking system. The bomb was placed under the driver seat at around 2am on 16 October, leaving no traces of break-in.

Alfred Degiorgio, George’s brother, is believed to have acted as a spotter to track the journalist’s last movements.

Who are the accused

• George Degiorgio 55, unemployed, lives in St Paul's Bay, known as Ic-Ciniz
• Alfred Degiorgio, 53, unemployed lives in St Paul's Bay, known as il-Fulu
• Vincent Muscat, 55, lives in Msida, known as il-Kohhu

Sources close to the investigation believe the three men accused with the killing had been planning the bombing for two months. They also believe that the trio may have been involved in other car bombs as a result of eight mobile phones found in the sea at Marsa during intensive searches of the area.