Cabinet rejects pardon request by Degiorgio brothers for second time

The government has advised President George Vella against granting a pardon to George and Alfred Degiorgio for a second time. 

In a statement, the government said ministers had met to discuss the request by the Degiorgio brothers, who are accused of planting and detonating the car bomb which killed Daphne Caruana Galizia in October 2017.

“Cabinet’s decision is not only based on the advice given by the relevant institutions but is also in the best interest of the country and justice,” a statement said.

On 26 April, the Degiorgio brothers had sent another letter to Vella, making a second request for a pardon after the first one had been rejected. 

“That the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth are revealed and all those involved are brought to justice” does not only interest the Degiorgios’ but is in “everybody’s interest,” the brothers said in their letter.

​The Degiorgio brothers claim to have information implicating a former minister as a mastermind in the Caruana Galizia murder, as well as information about other serious crimes.

The Cabinet statement also said that following the allegations made by Nationalist PM Jason Azzopardi, Carmelo Abela withdrew from the meeting.

READ MORE: Cabinet rejects pardon requests by Degiorgio brothers and Vince Muscat