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3 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 11 JUNE 2025 NEWS Caruana Galizia family welcoms jury outcome, but says much remains unresolved Government launches legal action against MIDI over Manoel Island GOVERNMENT has launched legal proceedings against MIDI after it claimed that it didn't fulfil its obligations listed in the Ma- noel Island concession contract. In a statement on Tuesday, gov- ernment stated that through a legal letter presented in the Civil Court, MIDI must pay its penal- ties and that government is not going to extend the timeframe for the company to start its work on the project. "Government sees this as the first step that reflects the pub- lic vow given by Prime Minister Robert Abela for the land on Ma- noel Island to be given back to the people." On Monday, Abela told Malta- Today that he did not rule out an out-of-court settlement with MI- DI just one day after the company stated that it is comimtted to find- ing a solution for Manoel Island. In the legal letter which was published on Tuesday, govern- ment stated that it will pursue all of MIDI's obligations listed in the concession contract, adding that the company is not in a position to fulfil its obligations. Calls for the concession's with- drawl and Manoel Island's trans- formation into a national park gained momentum after more than 29,000 people signed a pe- tition urging the island's conser- vation. After both Prime Minister Rob- ert Abela and Opposition Leader Bernard Grech initially poured cold water on the idea of turning Manoel Island into a park, the political class expressed a sudden shift an attitude towards the pro- posal. Last Wednesday, MIDI denied breaking the concession agree- ment. MATTHEW FARRUGIA mfarrugia@mediatoday.com.mt Manoel Island FROM PAGE 1 She also thanked her lawyer Vince Galea for his support as well as her family and friends who were always supportive ever since the murder. Her lawyer Vince Galea de- scribed today's sentence as the end of a very long chapter for the Chircop family. Prosecution and defence's final arguments prior to sentencing Prosecution and defence's final arguments prior to sentencing The prosecution and lawyers from the defence made their ar- guments on Tuesday morning. Leading the charge was prosecu- tor Anthony Vella, who reminded the court of the weighty verdict delivered by the jury just days ago. "This should send a strong mes- sage to society," he said, "not just to the victims' families, but to the public both locally and interna- tionally." To underscore the severity of the crime and the consistency of legal precedent, Vella listed sever- al past cases with similar charges where juries returned guilty ver- dicts followed by life sentences. Among them, a 7-2 verdict that resulted in life imprisonment and a 6-3 verdict, which also led to life imprisonment. He argued that, in light of these examples and the fact that the jury found Adrian Agius and his co-accused guilty beyond reason- able doubt, a life sentence is war- ranted—especially given the grav- ity of the double murder charges. Lawyer Therese Comodini Cachia, speaking on behalf of the Caruana Galizia family, painted a haunting picture of the impact of Daphne's assassination. She recalled how, in the wake of the verdict, the family relived not on- ly their loss but also the terror of her final moments. "She was burned alive," Comod- ini Cachia said solemnly. "Her children lost the warmth of their mother, her husband lost his partner, and her grandchildren will never know their grandmoth- er." She referred to witness testimo- nies describing the explosion, the screams, and the horror experi- enced by one of Daphne's sons, who ran toward the wreckage only to realise he was looking at his mother's remains and trying desperately to shield her dignity from public view. Lawyer Vincent Galea, rep- resenting the family of Carmel Chircop, added that the pain caused by his murder remains raw and enduring. Defence counters with emphasis on nuance Defence lawyer Alfred Abela, representing Robert Agius, ar- gued that the sentencing must re- flect the jury's precise conclusion. He pointed out that Agius was not found guilty in the Chircop murder and that in the Caruana Galizia case, the jury's 8-1 vote suggests at least some doubt re- mained. "If the jury believed he deserved life imprisonment, they would have returned a unanimous 9-0 verdict," Abela argued. "The sen- tence must respect this distinc- tion." Nicholas Mifsud, appearing for Adrian Agius, echoed this view, emphasising that the court's role now is not just to punish, but to balance justice with fairness and proportionality. Lawyer Lesley Cuschieri, repre- senting George Degiorgio—who was convicted on a 7-2 vote— stressed that this margin showed the presence of doubt among the jurors. "Two jurors, even after hearing all the evidence, were not morally convinced," he said, cit- ing previous cases where similar verdicts led to sentences under 40 years. Meanwhile, lawyer Ishmael Psaila, representing Jamie Vella, reminded the court that Vella had no prior criminal record before this case and had never set foot in prison before his arrest. Psaila urged the judge to consider this fact and not lump all the accused under a single sentencing stand- ard. The courtroom now awaits the judge's final sentencing decision, which is expected in the coming hours. While the prosecution insists only a life sentence can reflect the scale of the crime, the defence hopes the court will ac- knowledge the complexities with- in the jury's verdicts. Last Thursday, the jury found the four guilty of various seri- ous charges, including complic- ity in the car bomb assassination of Caruana Galizia in Bidnija in 2017, and the fatal shooting of Chircop in Birkirkara in 2015. The verdict followed a high-pro- file five-week trial which drew na- tional attention. The case is being presided over by Judge Edwina Grima, and the ruling is regarded as one of the most significant in Malta's crim- inal history. Robert Agius and Jamie Vella were deemed complicit in Carua- na Galizia's murder, while George Degiorgio, also known as iċ-Ċiniż, was also found guilty in her case. Both Vella and Degiorgio were convicted for their roles in Chir- cop's killing, which stemmed from a financial dispute of ap- proximately €600,000. Adrian Agius, brother of Robert, was also found guilty as an accomplice in Chircop's case. The jury reached its conclusion after nearly eight hours of delib- eration. Daphne Caruana Galizia's fam- ily welcomed the jury result, but emphasised that much remains unresolved, particularly pointing to ongoing institutional short- comings. Her son, Matthew Caruana Gal- izia, stated that their fight for jus- tice continues, and they remain committed to upholding Daph- ne's legacy and ideals. Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed on 16 October 2017