We must not let October 16 come and go without commemorating and marking the far-reaching significance of the day. It will be the sixth anniversary of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s brutal assassination. While there should be no doubt that hers was a political assassination, my commentary here is intended to be an apolitical one.

Daphne paid the highest possible price for exposing the all-pervasive tentacles of corruption in her native country. After years of being known for her blog and running commentary series, she suddenly shot to international fame and became synonymous with the Panama Papers revelations.

She played her part, too, in revealing the political corruption and connivance by the government in keeping Pilatus Bank, facing consistent money laundering allegations, protected in Malta. She was the one to bring to light the dirty diesel fuel smuggling that had been going on for years.

Suffice it to point out that, up to the day she died, no fewer than 47 individuals instituted libel suits against her. Libel suits are intended to serve as a judicial remedy for anyone feeling that his or her reputation has been tarnished by allegations written by third parties, especially bloggers and journalists. Yet, much of the content that formed the basis of those libel suits eventually turned out to be quite close to the whole truth.

She became the nemesis for all those living in corruption, sleaze, conflict of interest situations, abuse and misuse of office, criminality and other circumstances that can never pay homage to the tenets of the rule of law. She became associated with the phrase that she herself coined: “Crooks are everywhere.”

On the day she was murdered, her amazing journalistic potential was snuffed out by that single barbaric act. An act that left so many friends without their confidante. Malta was left without a tireless advocate and activist, while her husband and her offspring were left without the love of their lives, the woman they were planning to grow old with.

Months after her assassination, the ensuing public inquiry found that the State was much more responsible for her murder. Although the noose started tightening around most of those she worked so hard to bring to justice, there are still a few, perhaps even more responsible and guilty of criminal wrongdoing than those already convicted, who are still on the loose.

This cannot stand; Daphne’s death must not be in vain because her life was a shining light in everyone else’s life and her legacy will live on in the life that she has left behind. This murder demonstrates all too starkly that when corrupt politicians and officials, their criminal lackeys and all those thriving on impunity bring violence and hatred into the community, members of the public are placed in severe danger. It is abundantly clear that they do not care who they harm.

The day Daphne died, no fewer than 47 individuals had opened libel suits against her- Mark Said

It was a horrendous act, unnecessary, uncalled for and totally unjustified. But not only was it the murder of a young woman; it was also an attack on the people of this country. Her martyrdom served as an eye-opener for anyone wanting to understand that we cannot allow those who want to propagate violence, fear and hate to drag us back to the past.

It was highly deceitful of former prime minister Joseph Muscat to label Daphne’s investigative reporting on Pilatus Bank as “fake news from a hate blogger” just days before she was blown up. On the contrary, with hindsight, she was an oracle of the unfolding truth that is still unfolding today.

It was very unfair of whoever chose to describe Daphne as “the witch from Bidnija”. It was a preposterous remark that former PN leader Adrian Delia made when he called her a “biċċa blogger” and it was a big and very insensitive insult to her memory every time that an improvised monument to the dead journalist in central Valletta was vandalised or removed on the instructions of a minister.

Daphne had become the target of increasing threats and harassment. Strangers and sinister individuals had been spying on her whereabouts and how and when she commuted to and from the peaceful surroundings of her Bidnija residence. Arson, too, had been committed on her property before she was finally murdered.

That tragedy in October of six years ago marked a new level of violence for Malta. It was the first time a journalist had been murdered in the country. As ordinary, law-abiding citizens, we cannot continue to turn a blind eye to the aftermath of that tragedy.

We cannot leave it up to questionable institutions to do full justice to all those directly and indirectly responsible. Malta today is an uncertain State where no one can tell where the conniving and criminal activities end and the government begins. Pressure from the international community continues to feel necessary.

In recalling the horror of the machinations to wipe out Daphne’s journalistic weaponry, there is a small consolation in knowing that the work of journalists still matters. She would not have gotten killed for it if it had not. On that fatal afternoon six years ago, Daphne sacrificed herself on the altar of truth and justice.

Mark Said

Lastly, to all investigative journalists in Malta, your work is more important now than ever. It instils fear in the corrupt politicians, officials and individuals you expose. You may be afraid but they are afraid of you too.

Mark Said is a lawyer.