Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1419860
16 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 17 OCTOBER 2021 NEWS LUKE VELLA THE fourth anniversary of the brutal assassination of journal- ist Daphne Caruana Galizia was marked yesterday with several manifestations and statements from NGOs and politicians. Opposition and Nationalist Party leader Bernard Grech visited the site of her assassi- nation in Bidnija, where he was greeted by Caruana Galizia's son Matthew. "Caruana Galizia's murder would have served nothing if abuse is tolerated. It is our du- ty to always remain vigilant," Grech said, calling on all to ob- serve their duty and not toler- ate a system where the vulner- able remain voiceless. "One cannot rely on others to take action on their behalf. If one thinks that by putting a bouquet of flowers and by sub- mitting a donation, this will ensure that injustice, abuse, corruption, bribery, abuse and murder will never reoccur." The Green Party on its part marked the day with a resound- ing critique of political party media and the tribalism they had inspired in Maltese society. "Four years after this trage- dy, journalists are still being threatened, some try to under- mine their credibility and try to bribe or threaten them into silence," Sandra Gauci, ADPD deputy secretary-general said. She said this was the result of years of propaganda from the main parties' stations and the national broadcasting. "Since public broadcasting is run by a minister, it is an extension of the governing party's prop- aganda machine" ADPD Chairperson Carmel Cacopardo called for a root- and-branch reform of public broadcasting. "It should not be any longer the political respon- sibility of a Cabinet Minister but rather it should be admin- istered independently of the government of the day." Electrogas demo Moviment Graffitti held a demonstration outside the De- limara gas plant, dubbing the Electrogas power station pro- ject a "blood-soaked deal". "Four years ago, Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered in broad daylight just outside her home in a car bomb we now know was planted by ca- reer criminals, […] commis- sioned at least in part by one of the most powerful business- men in the country," said Rob- ert Louis Fenech. Fenech called the site a "mon- ument to corruption" for which Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed. He said that the inves- tigation by Galizia endangered the government, big business, and that the prosecutions into those deals and the murders is stalling. Fenech added that the state can never prevent impunity if it is beholden to private cor- porate interests, "Every day, we continue to live under what the public inquiry calls 'a struc- tured system of abuse […] born of the communion between public administration and big business." Fenech said that no matter who was found to have com- missioned the killing, "this was a political assassination of a journalist... Caruana Galizia exposed corruption at the very highest levels of government, in collusion with some of the biggest businesses on the is- land. She was killed for this... Investigate the Electrogas deal, now." US embassy The United States Embassy called for a "thorough, trans- parent, timely, and credible conclusion" to the investiga- tions into the murder of Daph- ne Caruana Galizia. "We reiterate that strong ju- dicial processes and account- ability are essential to the just conclusion to this case, which will reassure journalists everywhere that their voices are valued. The United States strongly supports the rule of law and the vital role of a free and independent press around the world. We condemn those who would employ violence to silence dissenting voices." Daphne murder still a national wound, four years on A deal tainted by blood: Moviment Graffitti mark the memory of Caruana Galizia outsidethe Delimara gas plant