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Maltese Journalist Who Worked on Panama Papers Murdered

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Poorvi Gupta
New Update

In a shocking news, the Malta-based journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia died in a car bombing attack on Monday afternoon. Galizia was one of the journalists who worked on the Panama papers investigative report.

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She drove a Peugeot 108 which the attackers planted with dangerous explosives that blew her car in hundreds of pieces. Its debris was located lying in nearby fields.

Daphne Caruana Galizia investigated into corruption in Malta which also led her Panama Papers probe last year in April. The investigation achieved her title of “One-woman Wikileaks” by Politico.

Around 15 days before the attack, Galizia had filed a complaint with the police for receiving death threats.

A blogger, Galizia was famous and brave. In Malta, the public read her posts more than any newspaper that the country published. She investigated into corruption in Malta which also led her Panama Papers probe last year in April. The investigation achieved her the title of “One-woman Wikileaks” by Politico.

She led a single-handed fight for transparency and this turned several powerful people against her. Her recent report reflected the Maltese PM Joseph Muscat and two of his closest aides in a bad light as it talked about their connections with offshore accounts.

ALSO READ: Outrage Over Gauri Lankesh Murder, Questions raised on Press Freedom

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However, after her death, the Muscat Government released a press statement criticizing the ‘barbaric attack’. The PM asked other countries to help the police with the probe into her murder, reported Metro.

“Everyone knows Ms Caruana Galizia was my harsh critic, both politically and personally. But nobody can justify this barbaric act in any way,’ he said at a press conference,” he said.

Maltese President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca also condemned her murder. “In these moments, when the country is shocked by such a vicious attack, I call on everyone to measure their words, to not pass judgement and to show solidarity.”

Galizia posted reports against the political party in power which could be a reason for her murder. Closer home, we saw a few journalists dying mysteriously in the past few years. The latest is the murder of Gauri Lankesh. Lankesh's attackers gunned her down in front of her residence. It led to a mass protest in the country demanding strict probe which is still going on. Lankesh also wrote anti-establishment articles.

Picture credit: The Malta Independent

Daphne Caruana Galizia female journalists of Malta Journalists murdered Panama Papers
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