Journalist's murder linked to government corruption probe, son testifies in Malta court

The assassination of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017 may be connected to her investigation into alleged government corruption, her son, Matthew Caruana Galizia, told a court jury. Matthew, a software engineer, testified that his mother was actively investigating a company partly owned by businessman Yorgen Fenech at the time of her murder.

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I was working on some software, and I heard an explosion. I opened the door, I felt the blood drain away… I started walking faster and faster towards the tower of smoke.

Fenech, who is the heir to a significant fortune in Malta, stands accused of ordering Daphne's assassination via a car bombing. Matthew recounted the harrowing moment he heard the explosion and discovered the scene. "I opened the door, I felt the blood drain away… I started walking faster and faster towards the tower of smoke," he told the jury, describing the aftermath of the blast that killed his mother.

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First I saw fire on the road. I saw pieces of metal and flesh. My eyes followed the smoke, and I saw a huge ball of fire. I ran towards it. The horn was going off; it wouldn’t stop. I saw a shadow in the car, and I remember saying, 'That’s my mom.'

The company under investigation, "Electrogas," was reportedly being probed by Daphne after Matthew discovered thousands of emails on its servers. These emails allegedly contained evidence of Fenech's intention to bribe the Maltese government to secure a project contract, though Fenech has denied these allegations. Matthew had previously worked on the Panama Papers leak before uncovering the "Electrogas" files, which he deemed too important not to share with his mother.

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I had to share what I was seeing with my mother. I believed it was too important.

During the prosecution's questioning, Matthew described the government's tendering process for the project as "corrupt." The judge, however, interjected to clarify that this was Matthew's opinion, not a factual statement. Matthew also revealed that prior to his mother's murder, he had contacted The Guardian to collaborate on the investigation, but after her death, he shifted his focus to bringing her killers to justice.

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corrupt