Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1351534
3 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 17 MARCH 2021 NEWS CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 Cross-examined by parte civile lawyer Jason Azzopardi, Muscat said that at the time of the first plot, he had taken George Degiorgio to Portomaso for a purported meeting with Cardona "be- cause of Daphne". Muscat said the price agreed for the murder was €150,000 with a €50,000 deposit, which, however, was never re- ceived. He explained to the court how the hit was supposed to have happened: "George And Jamie [Vella] were going to block the road with a van. They had an AK-47 from abroad. I saw it with my own eyes. Jamie had likely brought the AK from abroad." Vella is facing separate charges for his involvement in the Caruana Galizia and Carmel Chircop murders. He is an asso- ciate of the brothers Adrian and Robert Agius, known as Tal-Maksar. Muscat testified that Gatt had asked them to check out a BMW that be- longed to Caruana Galizia, which was parked in a garage below the offices of The Malta Independent in St Julian's. He added that George Degiorgio had obtained Daphne's number from David Gatt and used to send her messages. "We would invent stuff. She never re- plied. One day, George said that he got a reply from the mobile. Galizia had said 'mhux imbilli qed tibgħatli l-mes- saġġi, I don't know who you are'," Mus- cat testified. The plan was eventually abandoned because they were never paid until a fresh plan was concocted in 2017 after they were approached by Melvin Theu- ma. MATTHEW AFIUS A plan to murder " a police of- ficer" was being concocted at the same time that Daphne Caruana Galizia's assassins were plotting her execution, Vince Muscat has testified. Without mentioning the name, under cross-examination by par- te civile lawyer Jason Azzopardi, Muscat confirmed that the gang he formed part of had parallel plans to execute a police officer. Muscat's testimony in the compilation of evidence against brothers George and Alfred De- giorgio lifted the lid on the work- ings of a criminal gang that was based at the potato shed in Marsa with deep connections to Rob- ert and Adrian Agius, known as Tal-Maksar, from Żebbuġ. The Degiorgio brothers are ac- cused of planting and triggering the bomb that killed journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The Agius brothers and their associ- ate Jamie Vella are facing sepa- rate proceedings for involvement in the murders of Caruana Gali- zia and lawyer Carmel Chircop. Vella and Robert agius supplied the bomb that was used by the Degiorgios and Muscat to blow up Caruana Galizia. Muscat, known as il-Koħħu, pleaded guilty to the Caruana Galizia murder and was sen- tenced to 15 years in prison after a plea bargain agreement. Testifying today, Muscat reit- erated that the price tag for the Daphne murder was agreed with Melvin Theuma at €150,000. He also testified how the three got to know of their impending arrest in December 2017, some three weeks before. Muscat said it was Alfred De- giorgio who told him about the upcoming arrest. Muscat ex- plained that Degiorgio told him he had received the information from former minister Chris Car- dona, who at the time was part of Cabinet. Muscat also spoke of a seper- ate plot to kill Caruana Galizia in 2015, which was initiated by lawyer David Gatt, a former legal associate of Cardona. Muscat tes- tified that he once took George Degiorgio to Portomaso to meet Cardona "because of Daphne". The plan was eventually abort- ed because no payment was ever made. Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zam- mit is presiding. Superintendent Keith Arnaud and Inspector Kurt Zahra, aided by the office of the Attorney Gen- eral are prosecuting. Lawyer Marc Sant is appearing for Vince Muscat. Lawyer Wil- liam Cuschieri is appearing for the Degiorgio brothers. Lawyers Jason Azzopardi and Therese Comodini Cachia are appearing parte civile for the Caruana Galizia family. Kohhu speaks of plans in 2017 to murder 'a police officer' THE son of the late journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia is the U.S. Embassy's nominee for the U.S. Secretary of State's International Anticorruption Champions award. Matthew Caruana Galizia, an award-winning investigative jour- nalist, was nominated by Gwendolyn "Wendy" Green, U.S. Chargé d'Affaires. The U.S. Embassy selected Caruana Galizia because of his work exposing financial crime, money laundering, and tax evasion. "This award honours individuals who have worked tirelessly, of- ten in the face of adversity, to defend transparency, combat cor- ruption, and ensure accountability in their own countries," Green said. Caruana Galizia was a lead engineer in the International Consor- tium of Investigative Journalists' (ICIJ) investigations into six ma- jor global corruption investigations: Offshore Leaks, Swiss Leaks, Luxembourg Leaks, Fatal Extraction, Panama Papers, and Paradise Papers. In 2017, the ICIJ, including Caruana Galizia and his colleagues, was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Explanatory Reporting. "His work was instrumental in compelling governments to fulfill their commitments to international anticorruption standards," Green said. Matthew Caruana Galizia nominated for US International Anticorruption Award Murder suspect George Degiorgio, inside the prison van, as he leaves the court to head back to Corradino Correctional Facility (Photo: JAMES BIANCHI | MaltaToday) Price for Daphne's murder set at €150,000 Vince Muscat