A prominent journalist and blogger in Malta, Daphne Caruana Galizia, has been assassinated after making repeated and detailed corruption allegations against Prime Minister, Joseph Muscat’s inner circle.
Galizia was killed by a car bomb on Tuesday.
The assassination was just a week after servers hosting Galizia’s website suffered “unprecedented” DDoS attack.
Prime Minister Muscat has condemned the killing of the female blogger, describing it as a “barbaric” act and ordered security services to devote maximum resources to bringing those responsible to justice.
He told reporters, “What happened today is unacceptable on various levels. Today is a black day for our democracy and our freedom of speech.”
The 53-year-old journalist died mid-afternoon, close to her home in Bidnija in the north of the island. The force of the blast reduced her car to pieces and catapulted the journalist’s body into a nearby field.
She left behind a husband and three sons.
The Prime Minister added, “Everyone knows Ms Caruana Galizia was a harsh critic of mine, both politically and personally, but nobody can justify this barbaric act in any way.
“I will not rest until justice is done.”
In her last post within an hour of her death, Caruana Galizia reiterated an allegation that Muscat’s chief of staff, Keith Schembri, was a “crook” who used his government influence to enrich himself.
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