Caruana Galizia murder suspect on hunger strike at ‘discriminatory’ court sitting

Daphne Caruana Galizia murder suspect Alfred Degiorgio ‘il-Fulu’ has gone on hunger strike inside Corradino Correctional Facility in protest at having to go to court during the COVID-19 crisis, a source told MaltaToday. 

A sitting in the compilation of evidence against Degiorgio, his brother George Degiorgio ‘ic-Ciniz’ and Vince Muscat ‘il-Kohhu’ is due to be held on Monday, after the courts upheld an objection by Muscat to the final submissions being made in writing.  

But sources said Degiorgio complained that he felt discriminated against because his case was being heard whilst all other cases were suspended because of the COVID-19 crisis. 

The accused, who has spent the past two months on COVID-19 lockdown in prison, has been unable to see his family for this time. “He is arguing that he did not object to the prison measures as they were intended to protect inmates, but if he was not going to be allowed to see his family because of the coronavirus, then it did not make sense to bring him to court and expose him to potential infection,” the source said. 

This is the second hunger strike by Degiorgio this year. In February, Degiorgio refused food after the prison authorities ordered that he and his brother George be locked in their cells for 25-hour stretches to avoid conflict with another inmate, David Norbert Schembri. Degiorgio had ended that hunger strike three days later, his demands remaining unmet. 

Degiorgio's demands are the complete opposite of those being made by fellow inmate and alleged mastermind Yorgen Fenech. In an application filed on April 8, Fenech insisted on the continuation of his proceedings.