Assistant Commissioner ‘can't exclude’ PEP behind Caruana Galizia murder

Silvio Valletta took the witness stand this morning in the Constitutional case filed by the Caruana Galizia family against him, the Commissioner of Police and the Attorney General

The Commissioner of Police, Lawrence Cutajar (left) and the deputy police commissioner, Silvio Valletta, husband of Gozo Minister Justyne Caruana
The Commissioner of Police, Lawrence Cutajar (left) and the deputy police commissioner, Silvio Valletta, husband of Gozo Minister Justyne Caruana

The Assistant Commissioner of Police has told a court that he could not exclude the possibility that the person behind the murder of journalist and blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia is a politically exposed person (PEP).

Assistant Commissioner Silvio Valletta took the witness stand in the Constitutional case filed by the Caruana Galizia family against him, the Commissioner of Police and the Attorney General.

The court is being asked to have Valletta removed from the murder investigation.

The family contends that Valletta has a conflict of interest as a result of his marriage to Gozo minister Justyne Caruana, as well as due to his role as a board member of the Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU).

Valletta was questioned by lawyer Victoria Buttigieg from the Office of the Attorney General, on whether this was his first homicide investigation. He replied that it wasn’t.

Inspectors Keith Arnaud and Kurt Zahra are in charge of the compilation of evidence and investigation of the homicide and the investigation was still ongoing, he said, despite the arraignment of 3 persons.

Asked if he had ever reacted to blog posts by DCG in his or his wife’s regard, he said he hadn’t.

The first step police had taken had been to order the sealing off of the crime scene and the collection of forensic evidence for examination by foreign experts who are assisting.

A Magisterial inquiry is also underway and had appointed a number of experts, he said, adding: “I’m informed that the experts and inquiring magistrate are in regular contact with the Caruana Galizia family.”

Cross-examining, lawyer Jason Azzopardi, who is appearing for the Caruana Galizia family asked who had informed him.

“My inspectors, who are keeping in contact with the inquiring magistrate and the family. I’m also informed that inspector Zahra had a meeting with Peter Caruana Galizia and had explained the evidence to him.”

He was unable to confirm whether Caruana Galizia's widower had asked for the meeting himself.

Valletta was asked about the infamous press briefing he had held with the Commissioner in the aftermath of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder.

“Do you know you are a politically exposed person?” “Yes,” he replied.

“Of the preceding homicides you have investigated, how many of the victims had written about yourself and your family members, as Caruana Galizia had.”

“None of them had written about me, but some of them had threatened me with death. I still investigated the murders.”

Azzopardi then moved on to questions about the arraignment of George Degiorgio, Alfred Degiorgio and Vincent Muscat, who are accused of planting the bomb that killed the journalist.

He asked whether the three persons were accused of being the “material executors” of the bombing. They were, replied Valletta, adding that police investigations were ongoing.

“In the course of your investigations had it been excluded that the mastermind could be a PEP?” asked Azzopardi. “In our investigation, nobody is excluded,” replied the Assistant Commissioner.

The case continues in April.

The Civil Society Network expressed its support towards the Caruana Galizia family in its demand for the removal of Deputy Commissioner Silvio Valletta.

“In CSN’s view, Assistant Commissioner Valletta should find the courage and decency to withdraw from the case and thereby allow the Maltese and above all the victim’s family to have faith in those who are entrusted by law with the responsibility to defend the rule of law,” the statement said.