A European Parliament resolution expressing “deep concern” about the latest revelations in the investigations into the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has been approved by a landslide.
The resolution, moved by the European People's Party, voices concern about the possible involvement of government ministers and political appointees in the case.
The government had sought to prevent the resolution from being debated and voted on, arguing that court proceedings are still ongoing. A Labour MEP had even vowed that the debate would be held “over our dead bodies”.
The vote was taken on Wednesday, with results announced on Thursday morning. 635 MEPs from various groupings voted in favour of the resolution, while just 46 voted against and 12 abstained. All four Labour MEPs voted against the resolution.
The resolution came just weeks after calls for justice for Caruana Galizia once again resonated through the European Parliament during a debate on developments in the journalist's murder.
“The European Parliament is deeply concerned about the latest revelations in the investigations into the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, in particular the possible involvement of government ministers and political appointees; acknowledges the progress made in the murder investigations; reiterates, however, that the recent revelations raise new questions about the case and related investigations,” the resolution reads.
Through the approval of the resolution, the parliament is also calling on the government to “deploy all the necessary resources to bring to justice not only every individual implicated in the murder of Caruana Galizia, but also those implicated in all other cases currently being investigated or reported which she had brought to light prior to her assassination”.
It also reiterated its call for the full involvement of Europol in the ongoing investigations.
On pardons granted to the accused, the parliament also expressed concern about the repeated use of such pardons.
While acknowledging progress, “albeit greatly delayed”, in some investigations related to money laundering cases, the parliament also called for probes into allegations of corruption and fraud, especially at high political level, to be investigated and prosecuted with the “appropriate rigour”.
The resolution will now be forwarded to the Commission, the Council, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Council of Europe and the President of Malta.
In their reaction to the adoption of the resolution, Nationalist MEPs Roberta Metsola and David Casa, who are also members of the European People’s Party called on the Maltese government to implement the proposals.
“The resolution makes it clear that the underlying problem is not the people of Malta but the government who, not only has high officials implicated in corruption, money laundering, heists and murders, but it is the same government who protects those involved in such criminal acts," they said.
They also spoke about the importance of having a free media, with journalists protected, to be able to investigate corruption, and reveal the truth. “Journalists will only be protected if their work is truly investigated by the institutions, and that those involved in corruption and money laundering cases face justice."
In a statement, the Labour MEPs said the resolution is “unjust” and paints “a false and twisted picture of the reality of politics and the judiciary in Malta”.
The Labour MEPs said in light of this, their choice was a clear one – to vote against the resolution.
“After the members of the [Labour] delegation voted against the resolution, because it is neither correct, nor balanced or at the right time, they will continue to work hard so that the truth comes out in Europe as well as in Malta,” the statement said.