Speaking from jail in his first comment on the case, George Degiorgio said if he had known more about Daphne Caruana Galizia - the journalist he and two others are accused of killing in 2017 - then he would have asked for more money to carry out the hit.
His admission came after several attempts by Degiorgio's lawyers since 2021 to secure a pardon in return for testimony about Degiorgio's role in Caruana Galizia's murder and other alleged crimes involving prominent figures on the island. Until now, both of the Degiorgio brothers had denied involvement in the killing. Muscat pleaded guilty to the murder charges in 2020 and was sentenced to a reduced term of 15 years in jail in return for testifying about this case and some other crimes. William Cuschieri, the lawyer for Alfred and George Degiorgio did not respond to requests for comment from either brother.
In the interview, Degiorgio said he was willing to testify that a top Maltese political figure had tried to arrange a hit on Caruana Galizia in a separate plot two years earlier. Degiorgio also said he would offer to testify about the involvement of two senior former ministers in an armed robbery. Caruana Galizia was killed after she leveled a series of corruption allegations against prominent people, including ministers in the island's Labour Party government. Her murder raised suspicions that some of the people she was investigating could be involved in plotting her death.
After the car exploded, Caruana Galizia's son Matthew heard the blast, ran out from the family home and discovered his mother's body. He has been campaigning for justice for his mother ever since. Asked about Degiorgio's comments, he told Reuters: "George Degiorgio's own words show he is a stone-cold killer undeserving of any reprieve."