Daphne Caruana Galizia was ‘texted’ by her killer in 2015
Journalist asked for a meeting with her eventual killer George Degiorgio, court hears
Daphne Caruana Galizia was “texted” in 2015 by her eventual killer, a court heard on Tuesday.
Testifying in the trial against businessman Yorgen Fenech, confessed hitman Vince Muscat confirmed how fellow killer George Degiorgio was texting the journalist in 2015, the same year an aborted murder plot was allegedly hatched against her.
Past testimony by Muscat was read out in court, during which he said Degiorgio got the journalist’s number and was texting her information about certain people, but she never replied.
“We would send her a message, hide the phone at the potato shed and check it again in the morning. Then one morning we found a text from her. She said she doesn’t rely on phone calls and asked to meet.
“We used to text her to see what she was up to, because we hadn’t seen her for some time. We were told she worked at a printing press of some sort and went to check there.”
Muscat says he recalls Degiorgo texting Daphne and her replying once saying “if you want to speak, let’s meet.”
Muscat and Degiorgio have both been convicted for a later plot which saw the journalist blown up outsider her Bidnija home in 2017.
Prosecutors allege this later plot was ordered and financed by Fenech.
According to Muscat, this was the second plot to kill Caruana Galizia.
The earlier 2015 plot was allegedly hatched by then Economy Minister Chris Cardona.
David Gatt, a former policeman turned lawyer, is alleged to have relayed the order to Degiorgio kill the journalist.
Muscat says the 2015 plot fell through, and no money ever changed hands.
Both Cardona and Gatt deny any involvement in the alleged plot.