Maltese expats in London call for justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia

The Maltese expatriate community in London has gathered in Parliament Square to stand in solidarity with demonstrators in Malta, ahead of Sunday’s national protest.

The demonstration in London called for Joseph Muscat to unequivocally assume political responsibility for the incident, which has embroiled his chief of staff Keith Schembri, and resign immediately.

The demonstrators also called for full support to be provided to the independent inquiry into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Before her death, Caruana Galizia was investigating Panama-registered companies owned by Keith Schembri and former energy minister Konrad Mizzi. The two companies were due to receive payments from a Dubai-registered company which Reuters subsequently traced back to Yorgen Fenech, the prominent Maltese businessman who owned shares in the Electrogas power station, and who has since been charged with complicity in her murder.

Although Fenech has named Schembri as an accomplice in the murder, after being questioned by the police, Schembri was released without charge.

“Maltese demonstrators insist that Muscat should resign with immediate effect so as not to jeopardise the impartiality of the ongoing criminal investigation. Under Maltese law, the Prime Minister is kept abreast of high-profile criminal investigations and has the power to grant immunity to criminal suspects,” the demonstrators said.