Caruana Galizia family seeks moral, material damages from five men involved in Daphne murder

The Caruana Galizia family files a civil suit against five men involved in Daphne's murder, seeking moral and material damages in a move intended to stop those involved from using their assets to 'further corrupt' public institutions 

Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated three years ago by a powerful car bomb. Her murder prompted various protests, which culminated last December when Yorgen Fenech was arrested and links were made with the prime minister's chief of staff Keith Schembri.
Daphne Caruana Galizia was assassinated three years ago by a powerful car bomb. Her murder prompted various protests, which culminated last December when Yorgen Fenech was arrested and links were made with the prime minister's chief of staff Keith Schembri.

Daphne Caruana Galizia’s family have filed an application for moral and material damages with the civil courts against the five men formally identified as having played a role in the journalist's murder.

“Our legal action is to stop them from using their assets to further corrupt our public life and institutions,” the family said in a statement on Monday.

The five men are murder executioners George and Alfred Degiorgio, and Vince Muscat, pardoned middleman Melvin Theuma, and businessman Yorgen Fenech, who is charged with masterminding the assassination. Apart from Theuma, who was given a pardon to tell all, the other four men have pleaded not guilty.

Any damages recovered will be diverted to the objectives of the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, the family said.

The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation was created to ensure full justice for Caruana Galizia’s assassination, protecting investigate journalists, ending impunity for the murder of journalists, protect Caruana Galizia’s work, public interest litigation and access to justice as well as supporting independent non-partisan media.

Lawyers Joe Zammit Maempel and Eve Borg Costanzi signed the application.