What is Maksar Gang? Details explored as members get lifetime jail sentence for the 2017 Daphne Caruana Galizia car bombing

On Tuesday, June 10, the Maltese jury delivered a life sentence to Jamie Vella and Robert Agius for the murder of the Maltese investigative journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia, as per AP News. Both were accused of supplying the bomb that was used to assassinate her.

Adrian Agius, the brother of Robert Agius, was also found guilty of complicity in the murder of the lawyer Carmel Chircop, which took place in October 2015, and was sentenced to life in prison alongside Robert on Tuesday, as reported by the Times of Malta.

Both brothers, Robert and Adrian, are well-known in Malta’s criminal underworld as the Ta’ Maksar brothers, a nickname that comes from their father, Raymond Agius's smuggling reputation.

The Maksar gang and the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia

Daphne was an anti-corruption activist, journalist, and writer who regularly exposed misconduct by politicians, including allegations of money laundering and government corruption. She ran her personal blog called Running Commentary, on which she would publish her investigative articles. On October 16, 2017, she was assassinated. A bomb was planted in a children's shoebox and was kept under the driver's seat of her car.

As she drove towards her house, the bomb was detonated remotely. Her murder caused outrage both locally and internationally. On Tuesday, Robert and Jamie were sentenced to life imprisonment after a six-week trial.

Subsequently, Adrian Agius, brother of Robert, George Degiorgio, and Jamie Vella, associates of the Agius brothers, were found guilty of the murder of the lawyer Carmel Chircop, who was shot in October 2015. The court ruled Jamie Vella guilty of shooting Carmel four times when he entered his garage. George Degiorgio, found guilty of wilful homicide, and Adrian Agius were convicted of complicity; Adrian was the one who ordered the hit due to a €700,000 debt that Carmel had pursued him over.

In a nutshell, the murder of lawyer Carmel Chircop in 2015 and the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017 were linked to the same criminal group, the Maksar gang, and several of the same individuals were involved in both the killings.

The conviction and sentencing of these individuals mark a significant milestone for Malta, as the Maksar gang have operated for years, deeply involved in corruption, murder, and smuggling. Her murder led to global outrage, with press freedom groups and various other organizations demanding accountability.

Daphne's family gave a statement after the sentencing was announced. This is what they said:

''We hope that today’s sentences will be a step towards a safer world for journalists by signalling to potential killers that there are heavy penalties to pay when a journalist is murdered.''

The statement continues:

“The car bomb attack that killed Daphne sent shock waves through Maltese society that reverberated around the world. Her assassination created a sense in society that the people behind her murder were sure of their impunity and that the institutions that were duty-bound to protect her and society had failed.''

It should be noted that Yorgen Fenech, a businessman accused of being the mastermind behind the assassination of Daphne, is awaiting trial.

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