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Matthew Caruana Galizia testifies against Agius brothers: ‘I came across a lower leg, detached on the ground’
Matthew Caruana Galizia testifies in the compilation of evidence against brothers Adrian and Robert Agius, known as Tal-Maksar, and their associates Jamie Vella and George Degiorgio
23 November 2021, 12:09pm
Matthew Agius
Matthew Agius
2 min read
Daphne Caruana Galizia's bombed car ended up in a ball of fire. The journalist's son, Matthew Caruana Galizia was the first family member on the scene.
Matthew Caruana Galizia faced the men accused of supplying the bomb that killed his mother when testifying in court on Tuesday.
He recounted once again how he saw body parts from his mother’s butchered body as he approached the burning car on that fateful day.
Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered in a powerful car bomb explosion on 16 October 2017.
Matthew was testifying in the compilation of evidence of brothers Adrian and Robert Agius, and their associates Jamie Vella and George Degiorgio.
Robert Agius and Jamie Vella are accused of supplying the bomb that killed Daphne Caruana Galizia. Degiorgio is facing separate proceedings on the same case.
Adrian Agius is accused of masterminding the murder of lawyer Carmel Chircop, while Vella and Degiorgio are charged with carrying out the murder.
In his testimony, Matthew Caruana Galizia said that in the period that his mother was murdered, she had been working on a leak from Electrogas.
“My mother was under a lot of pressure… there was a major investigation she was working on, she was constantly being harassed, and her general demeanour was one of stress. But she had made it a part of her life and she was used to dealing with it. It was just a regular morning working together. She was flustered because she was going to be late to the bank appointment,” Caruana Galizia told the court.
His mother had left the family home to attend a bank appointment since her accounts had been frozen by then minister Chris Cardona through a garnishee order as part of libel proceedings against her.
Reliving the traumatic experience, Matthew Caruana Galizia told the court that while running down the hill towards the burning car he came across a lower leg detached on the ground.
“I said, ok this is my mum's leg. It was severed below the knee. The car's horn was blaring. A woman with a crying child was standing close by and asked what to do. I told her to call the police,” he recounted.
The Agius brothers, known as Tal-Maksar, and Vella had long been suspected of having been the bomb suppliers in the Caruana Galizia murder case. They had been arrested in December 2017 but later released with no charge.
They were arrested in February this year, shortly after Vince Muscat pleaded guilty for his part in the Caruana Galizia murder and was sentenced to 15 years in prison after a plea bargain agreement. Muscat was granted a presidential pardon to tell all on the Chircop murder and helped police with key evidence on the Caruana Galizia murder that pinned one of the Agius brothers to the crime.
The case continues.
13:01 The next sitting in the compilation of evidence will be held on 6 December. That’s it for today. Thank you for following. A summary will appear shortly.
Kurt Sansone
12:58 The court says it will deal with Adrian Agius’s request tomorrow at 1:30pm when a bank representative will testify on the accused's life insurance policy.
Kurt Sansone
12:57 There is a discussion about a life insurance policy belonging to Adrian Agius and the accused’s complaint that with his assets frozen he cannot pay what is due. He argues it is not right to lose all the investment.
Kurt Sansone
12:50 Speaking to his lawyer, accused Adrian Agius protests that his car insurance will expire at the end of the month.
Kurt Sansone
12:49 AG lawyer George Camilleri will summon a bank representative over the freezing order. Defence lawyer Alfred Abela says he has two witnesses pending, relating to the car and bank accounts.
Kurt Sansone
12:48 Matthew Caruana Galizia finishes testifying. Defence lawyer Alfred Abela reserves cross-examination for a later date.
Kurt Sansone
12:48 MCG: “My mother was under a lot of pressure… there was a major investigation she was working on, she was constantly being harassed, and her general demeanour was one of stress. But she had made it a part of her life and she was used to dealing with it. It was just a regular morning working together. She was flustered because she was going to be late to the bank appointment.”
Kurt Sansone
12:47 The witness says that he had messaged his colleagues to inform them that his mother had just been murdered as they were still sending him work messages.
Kurt Sansone
12:46 MCG: “At that period we had been working on the leak from Electrogas, but that morning we were very close to the deadline for the Paradise Papers - my mother was not working on that and I was focused on dealing with emails and other stuff relating to Paradise Papers that morning.”
Kurt Sansone
12:45 Camilleri asks the witness about what he and his mother had been working on at the time of her murder.
Kurt Sansone
12:45 Matthew Caruana Galizia says that on the next day, two detectives arrived in a squad car and asked him some questions. He showed them the places he had gone with his mother's car the day before. They took note of the security cameras where he had parked. He had parked at Palazzo Parisio and Exiles that day.
Kurt Sansone
12:43 Camilleri asks what the police had told him. “They asked me whether I wanted to go to hospital and I said no because my family was going to be coming soon. My father and brother arrived on the site and we went to the house. We heard how Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera was on site for the inquiry and we started to work on how to challenge this.”
Kurt Sansone
12:42 Asked about the bystander, Matthew Caruana Galizia says he cannot remember what the woman looked like. Another Bidnija resident arrived and appeared to take photos. A verbal argument started between this man and Caruana Galizia.
Kurt Sansone
12:40 MCG: “They calmed me down. They were very young and were in a state of panic as well. I don't blame them. I sat down at the side of the road and then I got up trying to call members of my family. I called my dad, my middle brother Andrew and my other brother Paul. They were all at work and didn't answer their phones. I called my aunt Corinne and she was the first family member to arrive.”
Kurt Sansone
12:40 AG lawyer George Camilleri asks the witness what the police did.
Kurt Sansone
12:37 The police arrived shortly after, and had a fire extinguisher. “They said there was nothing they could do with the fire extinguisher... it was a ball of fire. I couldn't even see inside the car. I expected to see a silhouette of a person or something but it was just a huge ball of fire.”
Kurt Sansone
12:35 Matthew Caruana Galizia tells the court that he continued to run and came across a lower leg detached on the ground. “I said, ok this is my mum's leg. It was severed below the knee. The car's horn was blaring. A woman with a crying child was standing close by and asked what to do. I told her to call the police.”
Kurt Sansone
12:34 MCG: “I remember seeing a car stopped at the side of the road, I kept on running downwards in the direction of Mosta and I remember there was a fire at the side of the road with a tree burning. There were pieces of metal and tarmac in the road. I looked towards the ground and also saw pieces of flesh on the ground. I looked up and saw a big ball of fire in one of the fields in the valley. I ran towards it, seeing the first two letter of the number plate, ‘QQ’. I thought this is my mum's car. The paint had melted off the car and looked white… I thought maybe this is not my mother’s car.”
Kurt Sansone
12:32 Matthew ran down the lane towards the main road, following a pillar of smoke rising from the valley. “I couldn't see the source of the smoke as there were trees and it was below my field of vision under the hill.”
Kurt Sansone
12:31 As he walked out of the house, he says, “I remember there were one or two of our neighbours... asking what happened.” “I said I didn't know,” he continues.
Kurt Sansone
12:30 Matthew says his mother left the house and shortly after he heard an explosion. “I instantly knew something very bad had happened. The dogs were barking loudly.”
Kurt Sansone
12:30 She left the house and returned a few minutes later, saying she had forgotten a chequebook. “Actually, it was my father's chequebook, as her accounts had been frozen due to a precautionary warrant issued by [then minister] Chris Cardona.”
Kurt Sansone
12:29 Matthew Caruana Galizia says his mother received a call from the bank and had to go to an appointment there. His mother had told him he could use her leased Peugeot car when she came back.
Kurt Sansone
12:28 MCG: “My mother got up later than I did, I think because she stayed up late working the night before. The day passed without much incident. I was very busy with requests from my job.”
Kurt Sansone
12:27 Matthew Caruana Galizia says he had set up his laptop on an upstairs floor and his mother was working downstairs.
Kurt Sansone
12:27 Caruana Galizia: “Before the 16 October I had come to Malta with the objective of helping my mother in her investigative work...”
Kurt Sansone
12:26 Lawyer George Camilleri from the AG asks him what he will be testifying about. “About the murder of my mother. On 16 October 2017.”
Kurt Sansone
12:23 Zammit steps down and Matthew Caruana Galizia takes the witness stand.
Kurt Sansone
12:22 Another witness will be heard first, however. James Zammit, a car dealer, who testified last time takes the stand. He exhibits photographs of a car.
Kurt Sansone
12:17 Matthew Caruana Galizia steps into the courtroom and sits down.
Kurt Sansone
12:16 The court takes judicial notice of the AG's note of renvoi and summons the first witness. The court is told by the prosecution that Matthew Caruana Galizia is due to testify today.
Kurt Sansone
12:15 Lawyer Alan Zerafa is in court on behalf of Carmel Chircop's family. Lawyer and MP Jason Azzopardi is appearing on behalf of the Caruana Galizia family.
Kurt Sansone
12:15 Adrian Agius, Robert Agius and Jamie Vella are assisted by lawyers Alfred Abela and Rene Darmanin. George Degiorgio is assisted by lawyer William Cuschieri.
Kurt Sansone
12:14 Magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo walks into the courtroom. Inspector Wayne Camilleri is present today, assisted by prosecutor George Camilleri from the Office of the Attorney General.
Kurt Sansone
12:14 Our senior court reporter Matthew Agius is inside the courtroom to follow the compilation of evidence against Adrian and Robert Agius, Jamie Vella and George Degiorgio. They face different charges linked to the murders of Daphne Caruana Galizia and Carmel Chircop.
Kurt Sansone
12:12 Good afternoon.
Kurt Sansone
Matthew Agius was Senior Reporter on Law and Court Affairs at MaltaToday from 2014 to 2024...
