[WATCH] Apology accepted: Caruana Galizia family want full accountability after inquiry report

The family of Daphne Caruana Galizia have accepted the Prime Minister's apology on the State's shortcomings for having fostered the environment that led to the journalist's assassination.

During a press event, Daphne Caruana Galizia's son Paul said that the family accepts the apology, and agreed that the apology was owed to the country. 

While the family has no plans to meet the Prime Minister directly, Caruana Galizia said that they would if he were to offer. 

The apology came after the Board of the public inquiry into the journalist's assassination deemed the Maltese State responsible for fostering a climate of impunity that facilitated her murder. 

The family of Caruana Galizia, including their legal team and activists, had been fighting for a public inquiry to be appointed for two years, with government agreeing to the proposal towards the end of 2019, shortly before the alleged murder mastermind Yorgen Fenech was arrested in relation to the assassination.

Following the report's publication, activists started calling for the resignation of Cabinet members who were singled out in the inquiry report for shortcomings or wrongdoings in the run-up to her assassination.

In this regard, Paul Caruana Galizia said that the family is expecting complete accountability, and won't be letting go of this easily. 

Meanwhile, the family's local defence laywer Therese Comodini Cachia insisted that the recommendations made by the inquiry ought to be implemented by an independent and impartial committee.

Caruana Galizia shared in this sentiment. "What's important is that government really implements these reforms. It would be a shame if an independent inquiry's recommendations are turned into a partisan cherry-picking exercise."