Update 3 | Witnesses claim Cardona was with Alfred Degiorgio at 2017 party, minister calls reports smears

Two new witnesses to the magistrate investigating the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia have claimed that minister Chris Cardona and murder suspect Alfred Degiorgio had met each other at a bachelor’s party on 29 June, 2017, in a Fawwara villa. 

The revelations are part of a new report by The Daphne Project published in the Italian newspaper La Repubblica, and are an addition to former claims by an eyewitness that Cardona was seen speaking to Degiorgio at the Siggiewi bar Ferdinand’s before the murder of Caruana Galizia. 

The journalist was killed by a car bomb on 16 October, 2017 and since then three men, brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio, and Vincent Muscat, have been accused of being the executors of the assassination. 

Cardona’s spokesperson was quoted as saying that the minister was not obliged to explain his presence at the party, and that “he had more important matters to attend to than satisfy the curiosities of sensational journalism.” 

READ MORE: Crime brothers: Where the Degiorgios' names crop up in the Maltese world of crime

From left: Alfred Degiorgio and Vincent Muscat, and second from right, George Degiorgio

But the newspaper has also reported a telephone call made in the autumn of 2016, by one of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s subjects related to a fishing vessel connected to fuel smuggling: the person would have called Caruana Galizia first to rectify a story about him, and later first called Cardona and after Alfred Degiorgio. 

“This circumstantial evidence,” the newspaper writes in its report, “... does not prove anything more than what it shows. But it is useful in demonstrating the way Cardona may be related to the world in which trafficking and the executors of Caruana Galizia’s murder come together. To the point that it renders him one of the crucial actors in this story.” 

According to the newspaper, former magistrate (now Judge) Anthony Vella was until June 2018 refused telephone data from the Malta Security Services, or the MSS interceptions of George Degiorgio before the October 2017 assassination. 

The MSS has denied prior knowledge of the plot to kill the journalist. 

La Repubblica also said the bomb that killed Daphne Caruana Galizia was built in a garage “frequented by men – Robert and Adrian Agius, Jamie Vella – with solid interests in trafficking links between Malta, Sicily and Albania. Even them, champions of the underworld...” 

These men were from a group of seven released after the arrests of the Degiorgios and Muscat: Adrian and Robert Agius are sons of murdered car dealer Raymond Agius ‘tal-Maskar’, shot dead in 2008 in the Butterfly Bar of Birkirara. The other arrestees were Miguel Caruana, Sandro Cilia, Jamie Vella, Anton Cachia, Rudy Camilleri. None of them were formally charged. 

It is understood that Caruana Galizia wrote just a few posts about Agius, at the time the More Supermarket chain went bust and main shareholder Ryan Schembri – cousin to the Prime Minister’s chief of staff Keith Schembri – fled the island.

Cardona describes reports as smears

Cardona described the news as “smears” and as “highly damaging and false”, pointing to the report in The Times, a member of the Daphne Project, saying there was no evidence linking Cardona to the murder. 

“The media stories published today omit the fact that I have, of my own volition, gone to the Malta Police and given a statement to the chief prosecutor. I have also offered my availability to the authorities to clarify any issues surrounding the allegations made,” the minister said in a statement. “At this point, I must insist that if the media does have any relevant information that may help the investigation, that they pass it immediately on to the authorities rather than leave it for further stage-managed ‘revelations’. 

“The investigation into the death of Daphne Caruana Galizia is one of the largest in Maltese judicial history. It should not be undermined by endless speculation and innuendo by international journalists who are falling in to the trap of Maltese partisan politics. I therefore appeal to all journalists to cooperate openly with the police if they have any information that could help lead to justice. I, of course, remain available to the authorities at all times.”

Nationalist MP makes speech in parliament

Nationalist MP Jason Azzopardi spoke in parliament on the case in his winding-up speech, questioning why Cardona had not admitted having been at this party when the Daphne Project first called him up on the alleged Ferdinand’s Bar sighting. 

“Prime Minister you have a minister who is in a structured relationship with members of the criminal underworld,” Azzopardi said in the House. 

Azzopardi is the lawyer to the Caruana Galizia family which is party to the legal proceedings against the alleged murderers. 

“We need an independent public inquiry to truly come to the conclusion as to whether this execution was mandated by the State,” he said.

David Casa calls for public inquiry

The Nationalist MEP David Casa has reacted to the newspaper reports saying that it should be the European Commission to push for a public inquiry into the assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

In a letter he sent to EC Vice President Frans Timmeramans and Justice Commissioner Vera Jourova, Casa said the new developments should be understood in the context of “corrupt politicians exposed by Daphne Caruana Galizia’s reporting continuing to hold their posts in government,” specifically naming Keith Schembri, the Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff, and Konrad Mizzi, the Tourism Minister, who were exposed by the Panama Papers.

Casa said the resistance to any scrutiny into the Maltese government’s role in the assassination was “now becoming painfully clear” and called for the EC to insist that an independent public inquiry starts immediately.

Government can't ascertain veracity of testimonies

In a statement, the government said that articles published by the Daphne Project on Monday contained information and testimonies reportedly given to the Magistrate conducting the investigation into Caruana Galizia's murder. 

The government said it could not ascertain "whether such testimonies were given or their veracity".

"The executive has no oversight, or control, on the independent judicial process," read the statement. "Furthermore, the call by David Casa MEP (PN/EPP) for a further separate investigation is misplaced given the current ongoing investigations it would duplicate, and given that the information he is basing his call on is already, according to the media, part of the independent investigations."