Daphne Caruana Galizia

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Daphne Anne Vella was born on 26 August 1964 in Sliema, Malta (then under British colonial rule), the eldest of four daughters. She was educated at St Dorothy's Convent (Mdina) and St Aloysius' College, Birkirkara. She attended the University of Malta as a mature student and took a BA (Hons) in archaeology with a minor in anthropology in 1997, featuring on the Dean's List in 1996. In 1985, she married lawyer Peter Caruana Galizia, a grandson of John Caruana and a great-grandson of E. L. Galizia and A.A. Caruana. The couple had three sons, Matthew, Andrew and Paul. The family left Sliema in 1990, moving to Bidnija, a hamlet in the limits of Mosta. Caruana Galizia was employed by The Sunday Times of Malta as a news reporter in 1987, becoming a regular columnist from 1990 to 1992 and again from 1993 to 1996. She was an associate editor of The Malta Independent in 1992, and remained a columnist with that newspaper and The Malta Independent on Sunday for the rest of her career. In March 2008, she began a blog entitled Running Commentary, which included investigative reporting and commentary on current affairs and public figures. The blog was one of the most popular websites in Malta, regularly attracting over 400,000 views – more than the combined circulation of the country's newspapers. Caruana Galizia was intimidated for her work and opinions. The front door of her house was set on fire in 1996. The family dog had its throat slit and was laid across her doorstep. Years later, the neighbour's car was burned, possibly in a misdirected attack. There was a further incident in 2006, when the house was set on fire while the family was asleep inside. After Caruana Galizia started blogging, her terrier Zulu was poisoned, and her collie Rufus was put down after being found shot. According to Matthew Caruana Galizia, threats were almost a daily occurrence. She was arrested on 8 March 2013 for breaking the political silence on the day before the 2013 general election, after posting videos mocking Joseph Muscat. On 22 February 2016, Caruana Galizia's Running Commentary blog reported that Maltese government minister Konrad Mizzi had connections with Panama and New Zealand. The April 2016 Panama Papers leak confirmed that Mizzi owned the Panama company Hearnville Inc., and that Mizzi and Schembri had also started another company, Tillgate Inc. In 2017, she alleged that Egrant, another Panama company, was owned by Michelle Muscat, wife of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. The title of her last blog post before she was killed read, "That crook Schembri was in court today, pleading that he is not a crook", ending with the line "there are crooks everywhere you look now. The situation is desperate." On 16 October 2017, Caruana Galizia was assassinated nearby her home when a car bomb was detonated inside her vehicle.

Reader's Guide

Daphne Caruana Galizia's significance lies in her role as a relentless investigative journalist who exposed high-level corruption in Malta, particularly through her coverage of the Panama Papers. On 22 February 2016, she broke news of Maltese government minister Konrad Mizzi's connections with Panama and New Zealand, compelling him to reveal a New Zealand-registered trust two days later. Two days after that, she revealed that Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's chief of staff Keith Schembri owned a similar trust. The April 2016 Panama Papers leak confirmed these connections. She was subsequently named by Politico as one of "28 people who are shaping, shaking and stirring Europe," describing her as a "one-woman WikiLeaks, crusading against untransparency and corruption in Malta."

Her work prompted international attention and led to the resignation of government officials after her death. In December 2017, three men were arrested in connection with the car bomb attack. Police arrested Yorgen Fenech, the owner of the Dubai-based company 17 Black, on his yacht on 20 November 2019 in connection with her murder. Fenech is currently facing criminal charges in connection with 17 Black, following the closure of a magisterial inquiry into plans for 17 Black to pay millions to government figures identified in the Panama Papers via secret offshore structures. In April 2018, an international consortium of 45 journalists published The Daphne Project, a collaboration to complete Caruana Galizia's investigative work. The GUE/NGL Award for Journalists, Whistleblowers & Defenders of the Right to Information was established in 2018 in honour of Galizia.

Did You Know?

• Caruana Galizia was arrested when she was 18 years old following participation in anti-government protests; the policeman who arrested her, Angelo Farrugia, went on to become the Speaker of the Parliament of Malta.
• Her blog Running Commentary regularly attracted over 400,000 views – more than the combined circulation of the country's newspapers.
• She was the founding editor of Taste and Flair, monthly lifestyle magazines distributed along with The Malta Independent on Sunday, which were merged into Taste&Flair in July 2014.
• In May 2017, Pilatus Bank's owner Ali Sadr Hasheminejad sued her for US$40 million in damages in an Arizona court; the case was withdrawn within hours of her death.
• The title of her last blog post before she was killed read: 'That crook Schembri was in court today, pleading that he is not a crook', ending with 'there are crooks everywhere you look now. The situation is desperate.'