Who was Daphne Caruana Galizia? Details explored as two men get sentenced to life in prison after Malta journalist assassination 

Two men, Jamie Vella and Robert Agius, were sentenced to life imprisonment on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, after they were convicted of the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, the prominent Maltese investigative journalist, in October 2017, as per AP News.

According to News X, Jamie and Robert were accused of supplying a bomb that was planted under the driver's seat, which was then detonated remotely as Daphne drove the car towards her house in Bidnija, Malta.

Daphne Caruana Galizia was a writer, journalist, blogger, and anti-corruption activist who reported widely on money laundering, political scandals, citizenship-by-investment schemes, and nepotism. She was murdered on October 16, 2017.

More about the investigative journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia

On Tuesday, during a jury trial in Malta, Jamie Vella and Robert Agius were sentenced to life imprisonment for the murder of the investigative journalist, Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Jamie and Robert are reported to be members of Malta's underworld, and their sentence marked a significant step in Caruana's assassination case. Her murder had shocked Europe and sparked outrage. Robert and Jamie had pleaded not guilty and were sentenced after their trial that lasted more than six weeks, as per The Guardian.

The two men had taken money to supply the device, which was then kept in a children's shoe box and planted under the driver's seat of Caruana's car. After the sentencing, Caruana's family gave a statement, in which 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.''

There are a few others who were convicted in the case, including George and Alfred Degiorgio, accused of planting and detonating the device, who are facing a 40-year jail term after they pleaded guilty. Vince Muscat, facing a 15-year sentence, Melvin Theuma, who acted as a middleman, gave evidence and got a presidential pardon, and the businessman, Yorgen Fenech, accused of being the mastermind behind the assassination, is awaiting trial.

Daphne Caruana Galizia published her articles and investigative work through her blog titled Running Commentary, and was a regular columnist for newspapers including The Malta Independent and The Sunday Times of Malta. Her work consisted of regularly reporting on the misconduct of politicians and other anti-corruption activities. Although she faced threats and libel lawsuits, she continued her reporting. Her assassination was condemned locally and internationally.

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