Bail refused for suspects accused of Daphne Caruana Galizia murder

Three men accused with the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia have been refused bail and will remain in custody at the Corradino Correctional Facility.

Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit denied bail in light of the gravity of the crimes they were being accused of and the fear that they could abscond or commit another crime.

The magistrate heard submissions on bail earlier this week, with defence lawyer Martin Fenech using the unfortunate turn of phrase “blown out of proportion” to describe the case against the accused.

Brothers Alfred Degiorgio (known as Il-Fulu) and George Degiorgio (Iċ-Ċiniż) as well as Vince Muscat (il-Koħħu), have been under arrest since a dawn raid on a Marsa warehouse on 4 December. Seven other men arrested on the day were released on police bail.

They have pleaded not guilty to the car bombing which claimed the life of journalist and blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Bail was strongly opposed by Inspector Keith Arnaud and the Caruana Galizia family lawyer, Jason Azzopardi. They also objected to the defence’s use of the word “blown” in the context of a car bomb.

The compilation of evidence against the three men is ongoing. On Wednesday, the court carried out an on-site visit at the scene of the crime in Bidnija. The accused, accompanied by their lawyers, were also present.