Kathmandu— A court in Malta has acquitted businessman Yorgen Fenech, 44, of masterminding the murder of prominent anticorruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The jury trial concluded on Wednesday with Fenech being cleared by an 8-1 margin after eight hours of deliberation. If found guilty, he could have faced life in prison. Caruana Galizia was killed in October 2017, shocking Europe's journalist community and setting off a political firestorm in Malta.

Reaction from the Family

Caruana Galizia’s family members were seen weeping in the packed courtroom in Valletta after Fenech was cleared of both charges. In a statement, they expressed disappointment and highlighted institutional failures that enabled her murder. “Nine years after Daphne’s brutal assassination, the institutional failures that enabled her murder remain unaddressed and unreformed,” they said. They emphasized the need for lasting justice to prevent similar risks in the future.

Background of Caruana Galizia's Work

Dubbed a “one-woman WikiLeaks”, Caruana Galizia had exposed corruption at the highest level in Malta, focusing on links between its business and political elites. She was 53 when she was killed. Prosecutors argued that Fenech wanted her eliminated because she was about to reveal information about him. However, Fenech denied these accusations.

Political Fallout

The assassination of Caruana Galizia set off a political firestorm in Malta and focused international attention on its police and judiciary. Former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat stepped down in January 2020 due to the political fallout from her murder, though he was never linked to it. An independent inquiry in 2021 found that officials had failed to protect Caruana Galizia from threats before her death.

(With inputs from Al Jazeera)

Originally published on abcnews.com.np.