It is correct to describe Daphne Caruana Galizia's elimination as a political assassination, even at this very early stage of the investigations, according to former Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi.

"There is, of course, room for different theories but we will all be making a serious mistake if we do not place this horrendous act within the context of a political reality that is evident to all those who are objective in their analysis," he said in today's Times of Malta Talking Point.

The death sentence executed last Monday was a death sentence against free speech, justice, good governance, propriety, impartiality, honesty, integrity, fairness, reasonableness and all that Ms Caruana Galizia stood for, said Dr Gonzi.

We cannot pretend that this is another one of those “perceptions” that can be washed away by multi-million euro government media campaigns

Her "often lone prophetic voice" found a rare resonance in one of the most objective analyses delivered tby the Chief Justice just two weeks before her brutal assassination.

His comments carry enormous weight because he is who he is, because he is always extremely prudent in his rare forays into the public domain and because he knows what he is talking about.

"To all those who are genuinely concerned, whatever their political leanings, what the Chief Justice has told us not only cannot be discounted but should be heeded as ‘the writing on the wall’ of a society facing a complete breakdown of its democratic infrastructure."

We cannot pretend that this is another one of those “perceptions” that can be washed away by multi-million euro government media campaigns.

The common good and society's well-being must not be measured only in euros and GDPs but must primarily be measured by moral rectitude, personal integrity, earned reputation and national pride.

"Daphne’s assassination marks an all-time low on all these values. We have hit rock bottom," said Dr Gonzi, who served as prime minister between 2004 and 2013.