Murderer George Degiorgio has made another request to be temporarily allowed out of jail, saying he would like to attend his daughter’s birthday party.
The request was filed on March 9 – less than two weeks after authorities granted him prison leave to attend a family baptism.
Times of Malta is informed that Degiorgio is seeking permission to spend two hours at his daughter’s 22nd birthday party on March 22, to be held at a residence in a southern town in Malta.
News of Degiorgio's latest request leaked online on Tuesday evening, when both the European Centre for Press & Media Freedom and the International Press Institute cited it on Twitter.
“Maltese authorities should make sure he does his time,” the European Centre for Press & Media Freedom said. “Prison should not be a hotel where people come and go as they please.”
The IPI branded his request "absurd & insulting" and called on Maltese authorities to reject it.
According to sources, Degiorgio has also filed a prison leave application for the event with prison authorities, who reportedly told the convicted killer to get permission from the courts first.
Degiorgio is currently serving a 40-year sentence for the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, as well as a separate sentence for money laundering. Apart from those two convictions, he also faces additional time in prison if convicted in two other major cases he faces charges in.
As both a convicted prisoner serving time in prison as well as a person being held behind bars pending trial, Degiorgio must receive the go-ahead of both the director of prisons and the court he is appearing before to be granted prison leave.
He managed to do so last month, exiting prison for a few hours to attend a daytime baptism party for his grandchild. Times of Malta exclusively broke news of that event, which drew international attention and condemnation.
As anger over his temporary release grew, both Prime Minister Robert Abela and Home Affairs Minister Byron Camilleri blamed the law courts for the "insensitive" decision to allow Degiorgio out.
A Times of Malta fact-check, however, showed that the convicted killer could not have exited prison without the go-ahead of prison authorities.
Degiorgio's lawyers went on to file a judicial protest against the prime minister, saying his words could negatively influence jurors who might be asked to judge their client.
One of the convicted killer's sons was also questioned by the police after he wrote "money talks" on Facebook, in reaction to anger about his father's temporary prison release. He was later released without charge.