Robert Agius and Jamie Vella were sentenced to life in prison for supplying the car bomb that killed anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta in 2017. Their conviction, following an 8-1 jury verdict after a six-week trial, marks a significant step in bringing justice for her murder, which sparked outrage across Europe and led to the resignation of former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. The bomb, hidden in a shoe box, was remotely detonated. This sentencing aims to send a strong message against journalist murders.
Two men jailed for life for supplying car bomb that killed Daphne Caruana Galizia
Daphne Caruana GaliziaWorldJournalist safetyMaltaEuropeMedia
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TL;DR: Key points with love ❤️Robert Agius and Jamie Vella were sentenced to life in prison for supplying the car bomb that killed anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta in 2017. Their conviction, following an 8-1 jury verdict after a six-week trial, marks a significant step in bringing justice for her murder, which sparked outrage across Europe and led to the resignation of former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. The bomb, hidden in a shoe box, was remotely detonated. This sentencing aims to send a strong message against journalist murders.
Trending- 1 2015: Murder of Carmel Chircop (Vella, Adrian Agius, George Degiorgio involved).
- 2 October 2017: Daphne Caruana Galizia murdered by car bomb.
- 3 November 2019: Yorgen Fenech arrested and charged.
- 4 2021: Robert Agius and Jamie Vella arrested.
- 5 July 2022: George and Alfred Degiorgio plead guilty, sentenced to 40 years.
- 6 Unspecified: Vince Muscat admits role, serves 15 years.
- 7 Unspecified: Melvin Theuma secures presidential pardon.
- 8 February (likely 2025): Yorgen Fenech released on bail.
- 9 Friday last week (June 6, 2025): Robert Agius and Jamie Vella convicted.
- 10 Tuesday (June 10, 2025): Robert Agius and Jamie Vella sentenced to life in prison.
- Robert Agius and Jamie Vella received life sentences without parole.
- George and Alfred Degiorgio are serving 40-year terms.
- Vince Muscat is serving 15 years.
- The murder sparked outrage across Europe and led to the resignation of Joseph Muscat.
- It created a sense of impunity and institutional failure in Maltese society.
- The sentencing aims to deter future attacks on journalists.
What: Robert Agius and Jamie Vella were sentenced to life in prison for supplying the car bomb that killed journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Jamie Vella was also convicted of complicity in the 2015 murder of Carmel Chircop, along with Robert Agius's brother Adrian and George Degiorgio.
When: Sentencing on Tuesday (June 10, 2025); conviction on Friday last week (June 6, 2025); murder occurred in October 2017; Agius and Vella arrested in 2021; Yorgen Fenech arrested in November 2019; Carmel Chircop murder in 2015.
Where: Malta.
Why: The motive for Caruana Galizia's murder was her "journalistic work" as an anti-corruption journalist.
How: Agius and Vella supplied the car bomb, which was hidden in a children’s shoe box and planted under the seat of Caruana Galizia’s car. It was detonated remotely via text message by George Degiorgio as she drove away from her home. The original plan was to shoot her, with Vella providing rifles and an AK-47, but plans changed to a bomb.