A court in Malta has acquitted businessman Yorgen Fenech of charges that he masterminded the murder of prominent anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Fenech, 44, was acquitted on Wednesday (July 2) at the conclusion of a jury trial. He had been charged with complicity in murder and the lesser offense of criminal association to commit murder.
If convicted, Fenech could have faced life imprisonment.
Family members of Caruana Galizia were seen crying in the packed courtroom in Valletta after the businessman was acquitted on both counts by a vote of 8-1 following eight hours of jury deliberation.
"Nine years after Daphne's brutal assassination, the institutional failures that facilitated this murder remain unaddressed and unreformed," the late journalist's family said in a statement.
"Long-term justice means that no one should have to face similar risks again. Our country failed to protect Daphne's life. The state has an obligation to prevent further loss of life."
Members of Fenech's family were seen celebrating the jury's decision.
The killing of Caruana Galizia in October 2017 sent shockwaves through Europe's journalistic community and sparked a political storm in Malta, drawing international attention to the country's police force and judicial system.
Dubbed a "one-woman WikiLeaks," Caruana Galizia had exposed corruption at the highest levels in the Mediterranean island nation, shedding light on links between Malta's business elite and politicians. She was 53 when she was killed.
Prosecutors argued that Fenech wanted Caruana Galizia dead because she was about to reveal information about him.
Fenech denied the allegations. Instead, his defense lawyers pointed the finger at his former friend Keith Schembri, the ex-chief of staff to then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and a target of Caruana Galizia's blogs.
Muscat, who has never been implicated in the murder, resigned in January 2020 following the political fallout from the assassination.
Police told the court that Schembri was never a suspect. He has denied any role in the murder.
An independent inquiry in 2021 found that Maltese officials had failed to protect Caruana Galizia from threats to her life before her death.
