[WATCH] PD calls for unity on independent Daphne Caruana Galizia murder inquiry ahead of parliamentary vote

Anthony Buttigieg on Truth and Justice Commission

PD MEP Candidate and former party leader Anthony Buttigieg made an appeal for national unity in defence of freedom and against those who ordered the killings of Karin Grech, Raymond Caruana and Daphne Caruana Galizia.

This comes just a few hours ahead of a vote scheduled in Parliament on proposals to establish an independent Truth & Justice Commission to conduct pubic inquiries into the murders of Karin Grech, Raymond Caruana and Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Buttigieg argued that “as a country, we cannot find out whether we could have avoided each tragedy unless we have a truly independent inquiry, fully independent of politics and free from personal conflict of interests.”

Buttigieg noted the circumstances of the murders of Karin Grech and Raymond Caruana and distinguished them from the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, arguing that her assassination is even more dangerous to democracy, since “independent journalism, whether you agree with it or not, is one of the pillars of our democracy”.

READ MORE: PN calls for independent Caruana Galizia murder inquiry

Partit Demokratiku is proposing the establishment of a Truth and Justice Commission headed by the Comissioner for Human Rights of the Council of Europe.

The Commission will conduct three separate public inquiries into the circumstances of the murders of Karin Grech, Raymond Caruana and Daphne Caruana Galizia. The purpose of the inquiries will be to establish whether the state lived up to its duty to protect the lives of each of the three victims and recommend reforms.

In the case of Daphne Caruana Galizia, the Commission would also be expected to look into the broader implications of the murder on free speech and journalism in Malta.

The PD's motion was an amendment reaction to PN's motion calling for a public inquiry. It also called for the removal of the police commissioner and the Attorney General.

A public inquiry was first requested by the Caruana Galizia family in light of court testimony several months ago that revealed how one of the men accused of the murder had been tapped by the Security Service in the months before the assassination.

A government amendment to the PN's motion said that the legal advice given by the Attorney General was against the holding of a public inquiry in parallel with the criminal investigations already taking place.

A vote on the proposals is expected to be taken in Parliament later today.