Like many others, Jeffrey Pullicino Orlando wasn’t surprised when Daphne died. A dentist turned politician, he recalls how he had discussed the possibility of her being murdered with John Rizzo, a former police chief of the island, more than five years ago. They were talking about the number of people she had offended, and Orlando remembers Rizzo saying how difficult it would be to solve such a murder case “because she has so many enemies.” Rizzo did not respond to Reuters requests for comment.

Orlando, now chairman of the Malta Council of Science and Technology, had been a friend of Daphne until they fell out after he switched his political allegiance from the Nationalist Party to the Labour Party. As a Labour politician, he introduced a law in 2011 to allow divorce in Malta; Daphne, a committed Catholic, had opposed the change, arguing that it would be divisive. She began to attack Orlando frequently in her blog.









“It had not stopped after the divorce campaign, it had not stopped, it became part of my morning ritual, over cornflakes, seeing what she invented about me,” he said.

Her articles were sometimes abusive and erroneous. Among her insults, she called him a “physical and moral midget, a consummate failure in life, love, dentistry and politics.” Her remarks were “worthy of a Pulitzer,” Orlando said with heavy irony.

Friends of Daphne say that was just her scornful style. But Orlando and others in the Labour Party found some of her coverage intolerable and are furious she is now portrayed by some as a fearless reporter and anti-corruption martyr. The flaws in her work and the sheer number of people Daphne attacked have left an atmosphere of bitterness and confusion.

Despite Daphne’s attacks on him, Prime Minister Muscat tweeted his dismay and anger at her death on the day of the bombing: “This is a spiteful attack on a citizen and freedom of expression. I will not rest until justice is done.” An aide said the killing has brought Muscat and the government only trouble, as it could give false credence to some of her erroneous claims. “We could see this tidal wave coming,” he said.

Schembri, the prime minister’s chief of staff who was suing Daphne for libel, said: “Daphne Caruana Galizia made frequent allegations against me, my colleagues and numerous other individuals … But the fact of those disagreements does nothing to diminish my horror and disgust at her murder. Her murder is a tragedy, and an evil act.”

Economy minister Cardona, who was also suing Daphne for libel, denies any involvement in her death. Daphne’s family recently informed investigators that several witnesses had told them Cardona was a regular visitor to a village bar where the Degiorgio brothers were also customers. The bar owner declined to comment. An investigating magistrate overseeing the murder inquiry did not respond to questions.

In a statement to Reuters, Cardona said: “Like most seasoned criminal lawyers in Malta, I know who some of the suspects in the case are. The particular pub you mention welcomes patrons from all walks of life, including other politicians. I do not, however, recall having any discussions with any of these individuals, and have definitely never had any meetings with them. Anything else is baseless rumour and speculation.”

Supporters of Daphne hold a vigil on the 16th of every month in a square in central Valletta. Just opposite is Malta’s central courthouse. There the three suspects have sat in silence over recent months during “compilation of evidence” hearings, which may take as long as two years. Only after that process would prosecutors prepare an indictment that could lead to trial by jury.

Arnaud continues to lead a team of 12 investigators, with about six working full-time on the case. The inquiry continues to examine contacts of the alleged killers to solve the question of who might have paid them to carry out the murder.

Daphne’s family are angry that detectives have yet to question people she was investigating to probe potential motives for her death. On the other side, police are dismayed that the family has not handed over Daphne’s laptop, which investigators believe could hold clues to her killing.

Daphne’s sister, Corinne Vella, said Daphne would never have handed her laptop over to the police. “It was about sources,” she said. The family fear that if they handed over the laptop, sensitive information would be at risk of leaking.

Additional reporting by Francesco Guarascio Additional photography by Matthew Larotonda



Editor’s note: Photographer Darrin Zammit Lupi is a cousin of the late Daphne Caruana Galizia.

By Stephen Grey Photography: Darrin Zammit Lupi Development: Ashlyn Still, Matthew Weber Data: Crina Boros Video: Matthew Larotonda, Adam Wiesen Visual editor: Sarah Slobin Editor: Richard Woods

The Daphne Project This investigation was done in collaboration

with an international consortium of journalists.

Read related work here.