Ministerial links: the Degiorgios and their pardons

An ex-minister was involved in Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder and the botched HSBC Bank heist in 2010, according to murder suspects Alfred and George Degiorgio.

The brothers are accused of planting and detonating the bomb that killed Caruana Galizia in October 2017. Their co-accused Vince Muscat, il-Koħħu, has admitted guilt and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

In a letter to President George Vella, requesting a pardon for crimes they may have committed, the Degiorgio brothers are claiming to have information that would implicate a former minister as a mastermind in the Caruana Galizia murder.

Their lawyer William Cuschieri has told MaltaToday that both George and Alfred have “direct” information on the involvement of an ex-minister, who masterminded the Caruana Galizia murder. He added that his clients both have direct knowledge of a person who acted as a middleman in the same crime and who has so far not been implicated.

“Despite the letters by George and Alfred being written differently as regards the Caruana Galizia case, both are referring to the same persons and the information they have is not hearsay evidence,” Cuschieri said.

He also confirmed that the Degiorgios can provide information that the same ex-minister was involved in the failed HSBC heist of 2010. Moreover, Cuschieri said his clients have direct information that a sitting minister was also involved in the HSBC heist. “This is also direct knowledge and not based on hearsay,” the lawyer emphasised.

MaltaToday has dissected the separate requests made by the Degiorgio brothers to the President in which they give details on the crimes they are willing to spill the beans on.

Brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio

Alfred Degiorgio

REQUEST

Alfred Degiorgio wants a pardon for all criminal acts he may have committed or was involved in. He currently faces charges of having planted and detonating the bomb that murdered Caruana Galizia.

WHAT IS HE PLEDGING

Alfred has said he is willing to co-operate and provide information that is credible and direct, not hearsay, on a number of crimes. The information is known to Alfred di scientae propria, which means he was directly involved in the conversations, meetings and acts, or was present when they happened.

WHICH CRIMES IS HE REFERRING TO

1. Daphne Caruana Galizia murder

Alfred says he can identify a mastermind, who was a minister, and a middleman. No criminal action has been taken so far against either of these two individuals and none of them has benefitted from a presidential pardon. This excludes Melvin Theuma, who has a pardon, and Yorgen Fenech, who is charged.

This implies that Caruana Galizia’s murder may have been commissioned by at least two people, one of them being an ex-minister.

In his presidential pardon request, Alfred does not indicate the period when this ex-minister served in Cabinet.

However, in court, Vince Muscat has testified that Alfred told him of a murder plot to kill Caruana Galizia in 2015 commissioned by former economy minister Chris Cardona and for which lawyer David Gatt acted as an intermediary. Muscat’s testimony on this particular aspect is considered hearsay evidence and insufficient on its own to indict someone. Cardona and Gatt have denied the claims.

2. Attempted aggravated theft and murder

Alfred does not specify which crime he is referring to and when it happened but his lawyer has confirmed that this refers to the botched 2010 HSBC bank headquarters heist. Alfred is saying that he is able to mention two masterminds in this crime, one who was a minister and another who currently sits in Cabinet. He is also willing to identify all persons involved in this crime.

The request for pardon does not indicate the period when the ex-minister formed part of Cabinet.

In his letter to the President, Alfred asks for his request to be treated with caution to ensure that the minister who currently sits in Cabinet has no part in the decision that will have to be made on the pardon request.

3. A case of murder

The pardon request says that Alfred can also give information on a case of voluntary homicide over which no one has been charged so far. He gives no indication of when the murder happened or how it might have been carried out. It is unclear whether this is the same case indicated by his brother George.

George Degiorgio

REQUEST

George Degiorgio wants a pardon for all criminal acts he may have committed or was involved in. He is also asking for money laundering charges against his partner Anca-Adelina Pop to be dropped and pardoned. He is currently facing charges of having planted and detonating the bomb that killed Daphne Caruana Galizia.

WHAT IS HE PLEDGING

George says he is willing to co-operate and provide information that is credible and direct, not hearsay, on a number of crimes.

WHICH CRIMES IS HE REFERRING TO

1. Daphne Caruana Galizia

George says he can identify a person who commissioned the murder and a middleman involved in the case. Both have not been charged or given a presidential pardon. George’s presidential request, unlike Alfred’s, does not indicate whether the mastermind was a minister. But it definitely excludes Yorgen Fenech and Melvin Theuma since the former is charged and the latter has a pardon.

2. A murder

George is willing to identify a person who commissioned a murder and the executioner. He does not say when the murder took place and it is unclear whether this is the same case indicated by his brother Alfred. The pardon request says that no one has been charged with this murder so far.

3. Two bomb attacks

George is able to provide information on two criminal acts carried out by bombs in “recent times” and for which no one has so far been charged. The pardon request does not indicate whether the bomb attacks led to people being murdered. Since January 2016 six car bomb attacks took place, including that of Caruana Galizia. Four victims died while two survived. The surviving victims were Romeo Bone, who lost both legs in a car bomb explosion in Msida in February 2017, and haulier Josef Cassar, who was maimed in a car bomb in Marsa in September 2016. Only the Caruana Galizia murder has so far ended up in court.