One year anniversary of murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia
- 5 years ago
MALTA — It has been just a little over one year since the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Galizia kept a day job as a the editor of Taste & Flair magazine in Malta, but she was also known as one of the most famous investigative journalists in the country who exposed alleged money laundering by officials, government corruption, and other crimes.
She wrote about her investigations and political opinions on her blog, "Running Commentary," which was established in 2008.
Her blog often attracted higher viewership than all of Malta's national press combined, according to the Guardian.
She was appreciated by her readers for being outspoken. However, there were also many critics of her work, and she acquired enemies in Malta as a result of being vocal about her opinions.
Among her work, Galizia's used the Panama Papers to publish sensitive information about Maltese politicians.
The Panama Papers were over 11 million documents leaked in 2015 that exposed the identities of prominent entities across the globe who held offshore bank accounts.
Before her murder, Galizia reportedly received death threats in the form of phone calls, letters, and notes on a daily basis.
The front door to Galizia's home was reportedly set on fire in 1996, and pet dogs she had kept throughout the years were also poisoned and murdered.
On October 17, 2017, Galizia was reportedly driving her Peugeot 108 to a meeting with a bank official. Her son heard her drive away before hearing an explosion.
He said he immediately ran out and was met by the smell of burning fuel. He saw his mother's car ablaze, then saw pieces of her body scattered on the ground.
A witness present at the time of the explosion said the car had been flung over a small wall into a field, and its gasoline tank ignited, reported Reuters.
Police say they discovered a sim card active in the area that may have been used to send a text message to trigger the bomb, which was reportedly placed under Galizia's seat.
Three men have been charged with Galizia's murder. However, Galizia's family believes the men may have been acting upon orders from others.
The accused men were allegedly tipped off before their arrest and threw their phones into the water before the police came to arrest them, according to detectives involved in the case.
The Maltese government has offered one million euros reward for anyone who has information on the case. However, Galizia's family has dismissed it as a publicity stunt.
Her family believes Galizia was murdered as a way to silence her and to stop her from exposing more sensitive information about high-ranking officials in the country.
Galizia kept a day job as a the editor of Taste & Flair magazine in Malta, but she was also known as one of the most famous investigative journalists in the country who exposed alleged money laundering by officials, government corruption, and other crimes.
She wrote about her investigations and political opinions on her blog, "Running Commentary," which was established in 2008.
Her blog often attracted higher viewership than all of Malta's national press combined, according to the Guardian.
She was appreciated by her readers for being outspoken. However, there were also many critics of her work, and she acquired enemies in Malta as a result of being vocal about her opinions.
Among her work, Galizia's used the Panama Papers to publish sensitive information about Maltese politicians.
The Panama Papers were over 11 million documents leaked in 2015 that exposed the identities of prominent entities across the globe who held offshore bank accounts.
Before her murder, Galizia reportedly received death threats in the form of phone calls, letters, and notes on a daily basis.
The front door to Galizia's home was reportedly set on fire in 1996, and pet dogs she had kept throughout the years were also poisoned and murdered.
On October 17, 2017, Galizia was reportedly driving her Peugeot 108 to a meeting with a bank official. Her son heard her drive away before hearing an explosion.
He said he immediately ran out and was met by the smell of burning fuel. He saw his mother's car ablaze, then saw pieces of her body scattered on the ground.
A witness present at the time of the explosion said the car had been flung over a small wall into a field, and its gasoline tank ignited, reported Reuters.
Police say they discovered a sim card active in the area that may have been used to send a text message to trigger the bomb, which was reportedly placed under Galizia's seat.
Three men have been charged with Galizia's murder. However, Galizia's family believes the men may have been acting upon orders from others.
The accused men were allegedly tipped off before their arrest and threw their phones into the water before the police came to arrest them, according to detectives involved in the case.
The Maltese government has offered one million euros reward for anyone who has information on the case. However, Galizia's family has dismissed it as a publicity stunt.
Her family believes Galizia was murdered as a way to silence her and to stop her from exposing more sensitive information about high-ranking officials in the country.