Degiorgios make public statement on direct evidence of political link to Daphne murder

The lawyer to George and Alfred Degiorgio, the alleged hitmen in the Caruana Galizia assassination, has reiterated that his clients have direct evidence of a government minister they claim is a mastermind in the 2017 murder of the journalist. 

The two brothers, who have requested pardons on various crimes in return for evidence on the assassination, said their evidence was “not hearsay or detto del detto”. 

“Such information should lead to a mastermind who was a government minister and a middleman in the case of the homicide of Daphne Caruana Galizia,” lawyer William Cuschieri said in a statement. 

Cuschieri said the person indicated is not someone facing either legal proceedings or given a pardon, thereby excluding Yorgen Fenech, the Tumas magnate facing accusations of having masterminded the murder through middleman Melvin Theuma, who turned State’s evidence. 

“They also have direct information which is not hearsay which shows the involvement of a mastermind who was a government minister and of a sitting government minister in another case where a very serious crime was committed.”

The third hitman, Vincent Muscat, who has pleaded guilty to the Caruana Galizia murder and was sentenced to 15 years in prison, obtained a pardon to give evidence on the Carmel Chircop murder, but has now requested a new pardon. He also claims he can name a Labour politician whom he believes helped plan a heist on the HSBC Malta headquarters in 2010. Carmelo Abela, a former HSBC manager at the time of the heist, has denied the allegation.

HSBC Bank Heist 2010 | A failed bank heist, Chris Cardona, and an inside job

Cuschieri said the Degiorgio brothers, who have previously been acquitted on heists, were “prepared to say the whole truth. They are following closely and keeping themselves informed with regard to all that is happening in connection with the accusations brought against them.” 

But after making their requests to the President of the Republic on the 10 and 22 March, they have not yet received any communication. Cuschieri said their claims should be given serious and expeditious attention.  

“They were and still are seriously concerned regarding how their requests can be considered serenely and with justice, because there exists at least the possibility of an actual conflict of interest in those who in accordance to law should grant their recommendation about the said requests and thus the whole truth will remain unknown,” Cuschieri said, referring to the presence of the sitting Labour minister in Cabinet whom they accused of complicity in a major crime., 

“It was for this purpose that in June 2019 they had requested to speak to the Members of the European Parliament Ana Gomes and David Casa. The State has to be in a position to listen to the information they have and not be hindered from hearing such information due to conflicts and from considering in accordance to law the requests made by them,” Cuschieri said.

The Caruana Galizia has already declared that full justice can only be served if the killers receive the punishment that fits their crime. “Justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia means her murderers should not be pardoned. Past crimes should not be cashed as currency for killers to buy their way out of justice for murder.”

Pardons

Alfred Degiorgio is claiming that he will name an ex-minister who commissioned the murder, as well as an unnamed middleman that has so far faced no charges in relation to the case, and has neither been granted a presidential pardon, ruling out Melvin Theuma.

He further maintains that he has credible information on a theft and homicide, which involved an ex-minister and a sitting minister.

George Degiorgio similarly claims that he has information on the person who commissioned the murder, and the as-yet unnamed middleman. He maintains that he also has evidence on a separate homicide, specifically on the commissioner of the murder as well as the person who executed it. 

He says that he has further information on two bomb-related crimes that happened in recent years - crimes for which no one has been arraigned in court over.

George Degiorgio is also asking for his partner Anca-Adelina Pop, accused with money-laundering crimes, to be granted a presidential pardon with him.