The Government of Malta has "taken note" of the judicial decision that acquits media mogul Yorgen Fenech of the two charges of complicity and conspiracy for allegedly ordering the murder of the renowned journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017.
"In relation to this same case, several people have already been investigated, prosecuted, and sentenced to long prison terms. The Government maintains its commitment to ensuring that institutions deliver justice. In this delicate juncture, the Government urges acting with caution regarding public comments that could cause more harm than benefit," it stated in a statement.
Similarly, the Executive has reiterated its "commitment to continue reforms to further strengthen the rule of law." "All institutions will continue to have the full support of the Government in carrying out their work," it added.
The verdict came after the jury declared the businessman not guilty on Wednesday, by eight votes to one, on the two charges against him for complicity and conspiracy, after about eight hours of deliberations in court.
The investigations indicated that the businessman allegedly paid around 150,000 euros to the hitmen hired to murder the reporter, who months before her death had uncovered the existence of an opaque company based in the United Arab Emirates, called 17 Black, linked to Fenech and allegedly used to channel illicit commissions to high-ranking officials of the Maltese Government.
Caruana Galizia, one of the most influential journalists in the country, was killed by a car bomb on October 16, 2017, at the age of 53, near her home in Bidnija. At the time of the attack, she was investigating a case related to the Panama Papers and alleged bribes from 17 Black that were supposedly diverted to shell companies controlled in Panama by the chief of staff of former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, Keith Schembri, and the then Minister of Tourism, Konrad Mizzi.