[WATCH] MEPs want Malta police to broaden Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation

In the wake of the Daphne Project revelations, MEPs have requested the Maltese authorities to probe people with a motivation to order Daphne Caruana Galizia's death 

MEPs have requested Maltese police and prosecutorial authorities to broaden the scope of the criminal investigation into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, and look into people with motivation to order the journalist’s death.

The statement, signed by four MEPs from the Rule of Law mission – Ana Gomes, David Casa, Sven Giegold and Monica Macovei – said the Maltese authorities needed to look deeper into the death of the journalist.

The MEPs’ were responding to the Daphne Project revelations, which revealed that Economy Minister Chris Cardona was seen in a bar with one of the three suspects accused of killing the journalist.

READ MORE: Witness saw Chris Cardona chatting with Caruana Galizia murder suspect in Siggiewi bar

The Police did not apparently follow this information, which was reported by two people approached separately by members of the 'Daphne Project'- an international collaborative journalism project - and who confirmed the Economy Minister was seen drinking with one of the murder suspects at the bar.

Three men were arrested in December and charged with planting and detonating the bomb. But the motives and persons who ordered the assassination remain unknown. Cardona, who had sued Caruana Galizia and had managed to get her bank accounts frozen, claims he did not have discussions with any of the suspects of the bombing.  He was not yet questioned on this by the Police. 

“Members of the Delegation are seriously concerned that Malta’s Police are not actively looking into whether the crime was motivated by Caruana Galizia’s reporting on politicians, corruption and organised crime and call on the Police to take in consideration her own account to the Council of Europe, just some days before she was murdered, on the threats and judicial harassment she was enduring. Six months after her death, MEPs think it is time Malta’s Police takes action and properly inquire any person with alleged contacts with the suspected murderers,” the statement said.

MEP Sven Giegold
MEP Sven Giegold

Malta: European Parliament will respond forcefully

In a separate statement, MEP Sven Giegold said that Ministers Kieth Schembri and Konrad Mizzi should step down or be dismissed.

The second statement followed the second day of the Daphne Project, which revealed that a Dubai company 17 Black was named as a “target client” of the Panama companies set up for Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi.

Schembri has admitted knowledge of the Dubai company 17 Black, which at the height of the 2017 elections was rumoured to be connected to kickbacks paid on the LNG energy project.

READ MORE: Dubai company 17 Black was ‘target client’ of Schembri’s and Mizzi’s Panama set-ups

German MEP Giegold said that the European Parliament's mission to Malta met on Thursday morning in Strasbourg. 

 "The situation in Malta is unbearable. The new revelations must lead to drastic changes to counter the general perception of corruption and a weakening of the rule of law. Minister Mizzi and Keith Schembri have to step down or be dismissed. The programme for the sale of passports must be suspended immediately,” the statement said.

He said that the group had asked for an urgent meeting with Commission Vice-President Frans Timmermans to discuss the new revelations and the findings of their mission to Malta.

The group will be writing to the Maltese Parliament and to ask for a meeting with official authorities in Malta.

READ MORE: What we know so far from The Daphne Project

Giegold slso said his group will be writing to the new head of Europol for a meeting to promote their involvement in the investigations, as well as call for a meeting with the Conference of Presidents with a view to a debate the situation with the EU Commission and adopt a plenary resolution.

“The European Parliament should use all its means to ensure that, this time, concrete action is taken. The European Commission has to overcome its light touch policy on the rule of law problems in Malta and urgently act as the guardian of European values."