Andrew Caruana Galizia has publicly thanked former Malta Employers’ Association director general Joseph Farrugia after he returned his Ġieħ ir-Repubblika honour following Yorgen Fenech’s acquittal.Farrugia returned the national honour after saying he “no longer has faith in our republic” in the wake of the verdict.Reacting to the decision, Caruana Galizia said Farrugia’s actions had become “an immeasurable source of hope” for him and his family.“Joseph Farrugia’s actions fill me with the pride I once had in my country but have now transferred to people like him, who place dignity, integrity and humanity above baubles of status, money or a quiet life,” he wrote.He said it gave his family hope that people who act out of “civic duty and not self-interest” still exist, ending his message simply: “Thank you, Mr Farrugia.”Farrugia was awarded the Midalja għall-Qadi tar-Repubblika by President Myriam Spiteri Debono in 2024, shortly after ending his long tenure at the helm of the Malta Employers’ Association.•