The death of Daphne Caruana Galizia: a culture of impunity?

Source: Wikimedia Commons

Imogen Richardson describes how the negligent investigation into the murder of Maltese journalist and anti-corruption activist Daphne Caruana Galizia reflects a growing culture of impunity.

This week, thousands of protestors took to the streets of Valletta, marching against corruption and impunity. The march marked twenty-five months since the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, the journalist and anti-corruption activist who was killed by a car bomb on the outskirts of Bidnija in 2017. On the day she died, Caruana Galizia wrote: “There are crooks everywhere, the situation is desperate.”

Caruana Galizia faced numerous threats during her career as a journalist. Her house was set on fire and she fought a series of legal threats intended to put an end to her reporting. At the time of her death, there were forty-three libel cases pending against her and many of these had the support of powerful politicians. One of the last investigations that Caruana Galizia worked on focussed on a data leak from a business of Yorgen Fenech, a prominent Maltese businessman who has recently been named a person of interest in the case. At about 5:30am on Wednesday morning, Maltese police boarded a yacht and detained Fenech.

The arrest comes more than two years after Caruana Galizia’s death. Throughout this time, her family have expressed sustained concerns about the effectiveness and impartiality of the Maltese authorities’ investigation, raising questions about the growing culture of impunity.

Impunity for crimes against journalists is on the rise. A recent study by the UN’s Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisations, UNESCO, found that the killing of journalists rose by 18% between 2014 and 2018. In the past 12 years (2006-2018), almost 90% of those found responsible for the deaths of journalists were not convicted.

According to Peter Omtzigt, the Maltese Police “may have turned down evidence” about Caruana Galizia’s murder. Whilst there was an initial police investigation into the bomb attack, the Maltese authorities have been economical with their findings and the investigation has been largely secretive. Following Fenech’s arrest, Malta’s prime minister, Joseph Muscat, gave a statement about the ongoing investigation. Referring to the resolve of both himself and the government, Muscat insisted: “we are leaving no stone unturned.”

The Maltese, however, have a different opinion. At the candlelit vigil, held on the anniversary of Caruana Galizia’s death, I spoke to several Maltese students. It is fitting that the students I spoke to asked to remain anonymous, a sentiment that is testament to the apprehension surrounding the investigation into Daphne’s death. 

I asked one student about his thoughts on the investigation: “Investigation? The investigation has been ongoing for years and nothing has been concluded. It’s so quiet. The FBI came here in the early days but after they started getting closer the Maltese police told them that their services were no longer required.”

He went on to explain that feelings towards the investigation are mixed. On the one hand, there is widespread unrest about the circumstances surrounding Daphne’s death. On the other hand, the people who are upset about Daphne’s death have little power. They are unimportant and disregarded.  He felt that “most people are corrupt.” Those who are not directly impacted care little and there is a strong correlation between power and corruption: “those with more power are considered to be more corrupt.”

His sentiments were shared by many of the students I spoke with, including one who told me “there are many speculations as to who was behind it but the actual investigations seem to be being done without the public’s knowledge. There’s a sense that the people in power don’t want the public to know what actually happened.”

Another student lamented how apathetic the whole country seemed to be around the death: “There are these vigils of course, but to be honest, I get the feeling that this whole thing has had much more of an impact overseas. It’s a horrific situation to think about but unfortunately it seems to be the case.”

She was particularly worried about how this apathy reflects the lack of emphasis that the situation is given in Malta. Caruana Galizia’s death has become a symbol of the oppression of freedom of speech. This student felt that neglecting to fully investigate Caruana Galizia’s death makes it difficult to question such oppression: “Daphne was known for being the kind of journalist who wasn’t afraid to speak up. She was blunt. But now people are frightened to speak up and question power in the same way.”

With the arrest of Fenech, the investigation into Caruana Galizia’s death is beginning to progress. But this progression does not hide the fact that crimes against journalists continue to go unprosecuted. By allowing a culture of impunity for crimes against journalists to flourish we undermine our freedom of speech and our ability to make informed decisions based on unbiased reporting.