Owen Bonnici rejects claims of government meddling in Daphne inquiry preliminaries

Former justice minister Owen Bonnici has strongly denied allegations of government interference regarding the 2019 public inquiry into the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

The controversy arose after former chief justice Vincent De Gaetano stated last Saturday on a radio show that he withdrew from his initial agreement to chair the inquiry because he felt the government was trying to meddle in how the board would operate, leaving him feeling used and anticipating constant skirmishes.

In response, Bonnici – who now serves as  Housing and Lands Minister – defended his actions, explaining that his discussions with De Gaetano between August and September 2019 were strictly limited to foundational, practical operations before the inquiry was ever formally constituted. Bonnici noted that their written correspondence focused entirely on logistical matters, such as whether a special counsel or the board itself should question witnesses, where public hearings should be held, necessary administrative and research resources, and protocols for confidentiality and publication.

He emphasized that these exchanges contained zero suggestions, instructions, or requests regarding what the inquiry should uncover, which witnesses to trust, or what final conclusions should be reached.

Bonnici pointed to the ultimate findings of the inquiry-which ran from September 2019 to July 2021 under a board of three different judges consisting of Joseph Said Pullicino, Michael Mallia, and Abigail Lofaro-as proof of the board’s total independence and freedom, given that the panel ultimately concluded the state bore responsibility for the assassination due to a culture of impunity originating from the highest levels of the prime minister’s office. 

 

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