Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1363999
maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 21 APRIL 2021 NEWS MATTHEW AGIUS BROTHERS Alfred and George De- giorgio, accused of murdering Daph- ne Caruana Galizia, have filed a judi- cial protest after their request for a presidential pardon was turned down by Cabinet. The brothers had requested a pardon in return for information on a former minister who allegedly also commis- sioned the murder. They also claimed to have information on the involve- ment of a sitting minister in the failed HSBC heist in 2010. In their judicial protest, the Degiorgi- os said it was "repugnant" that Cabinet was not properly considering their of- fer to turn State evidence and that the mantra that the institutions were work- ing was just a smokescreen. Cabinet turned down the pardon re- quest yesterday after taking on board advice given by the Police Commis- sioner and Attorney General. In the protest filed this morning, their lawyer William Cuschieri argued that their information was direct and not hearsay and would identify both a for- mer and a sitting government minister in very serious crimes. Cuschieri said that to date, not even a formal acknowledgement of their re- quests had been received and that his information on the status of the request was coming from news portals and gov- ernment statements. The Degiorgios point out that no- body had contacted them to hear their information before the Cabinet had decided on the pardon request or even before Minister Carmelo Abela, who is rumoured to be the sitting minister in question, recused himself from the Cabinet decision. "A normal State is obliged to do everything it can to solve all cases, more so those which are very serious in na- ture," Cuschieri said, arguing that "it cannot be said that the State is acting in a normal manner as a State where there is the rule of law, but it acting to stop the full truth from being known." "The mantra that the 'institutions are working' is not the reality of what is happening in our country, but is only a smokescreen." The lawyer argued that contrary to having the institutions working, the State is preferring to make arrange- ments with a person who has only second-hand information and who is saying that "nobody can deny his truth" as opposed to the objective truth. That person is refusing to answer questions because he could incriminate himself further, even in connection with the murder of Caruana Galizia, he said. The reference was to Vince Muscat, il-Koħħu, who was granted a presiden- tial pardon for his involvement in the murder of lawyer Carmel Chircop and reached a plea bargain agreement over his involvement in the Caruana Galizia murder. Muscat admitted guilt in the latter and was sentenced to 15 years in prison. Arguing that the actions of Cabinet, on the advice of the AG and the Com- missioner of Police, is an administrative action which is null, invalid and with- out effect as the authorities failed to ob- serve the principles of natural justice or mandatory procedural requirements, the Degiorgio brothers asked the Pres- ident not to follow the Cabinet's rec- ommendations on the issue, the Prime Minister, Cabinet, the Commissioner of Police and the Attorney General to immediately and within one day, rec- ognise that their actions are null and invalid. Failing this, they said, they would be filing a court case on this issue without further warning. The compilation of evidence against the Degiorgio brothers is ongoing. They are charged with procuring, planting and detonating the bomb that killed Caruana Galizia in October 2017. Degiorgio brothers file protest against Cabinet's decision to deny them presidential pardon Brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio