Metsola Defies Verdict After Fenech Acquitted in Caruana Galizia Case

The jury’s decision, reached after eight hours of deliberation, has ignited widespread fury and disbelief. Fenech, once considered the primary suspect in the car-bombing that killed Caruana Galizia outside her home, was acquitted of both complicity in homicide and criminal association. Following the announcement at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, he was released from custody, ending a trial that spanned two months and followed years of procedural stagnation.

Matthew Caruana Galizia, the journalist’s son, condemned the outcome as a denial of truth and logic, labeling the decision an act of pure evil. The victim’s sister, Corinne Vella, pointed to Fenech’s three separate requests for a presidential pardon as an implicit admission of guilt, warning that the acquittal signals a dangerous era of impunity for those who target the press. International bodies, including the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders, have echoed these concerns, demanding that the Maltese government finally prioritize the protection of media freedom. While five other men have been convicted for their roles in the bombing, the mastermind remains legally unpunished.