Corruption

Journalist who led Panama paper probe killed in a car bomb

Valletta: Daphne Caruana Galizia, a journalist who led the Panama Paper probe into corruption was killed in a car bombing near her residence on Tuesday, The Guardian reported.

A blogger whose posts often attracted more readers than the combined circulation of the country’s newspapers, Galizia was recently described by the American news outlet Politico as a “one-woman WikiLeaks”.

The government of Malta has appealed for calm.

“In these moments, when the country is shocked by such a vicious attack, I call on everyone to measure their words, to not pass judgement and to show solidarity,” Malta’s President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca said.

Her latest revelations accused Malta’s Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and two of his closest aides, connecting offshore companies linked to the three men with the sale of Maltese passports and payments from the government of Azerbaijan.

No group or individual claimed responsibility for the attack, the Guardian reported.

However, in a statement Muscat condemned the “barbaric attack”.

“Everyone knows Caruana Galizia was a harsh critic of mine,” said Muscat, adding “Both politically and personally, but nobody can justify this barbaric act in any way.”

He announced in parliament later on Monday that Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officers were on their way to Malta to assist with the investigation, following his request for help from the US government.

 

 

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