On October 16th, Daphne Caruana Galizia, Maltese journalist who was a very harsh critic of the Maltese government and had constantly exposed corruption scandals in her country, mostly related to the “Panama Papers”, died near her home as her car exploded while she was driving it. [Semtex explosive believed used in Caruana Galizia murder]Apparently the explosive used was Semtex.
She was mostly active in her blog, where she mercilessly skewered Maltese politicians and exposed their alleged links with money laundering and the Mafia. But, although she was usually called a “blogger”, she was also a columnist and reporter for the “Times of Malta”. She was one of the journalists working with the “Panama Papers”, and two weeks ago she notified the police that she had been receiving death threats.
This is a very serious event. My WAG is that this attacks bears the hallmarks of a Mafia hit. Whether the Mafia acted on their own or they were asked by somebody else to “do something” with the journalist, though… that is another question.
Reviled as the mainstream media is in certain quarters, this is a reminder that its reporters fulfill an important mission and that, sometimes, they pay the ultimate price for their efforts in bringing light to murky corners.
Some links to the news and commentaries from different media: