The European Parliament is set to step up its scrutiny of Malta and organise a fact-finding mission following recent developments surrounding the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.The decision was taken by the European Parliament’s Democracy, Rule of Law and Fundamental Rights Monitoring Group and follows the acquittal of Yorgen Fenech.Nationalist MEP David Casa said the mission would examine wider questions surrounding the case, including the police investigation, prosecution, handling of evidence and whether other people in positions of power were adequately investigated.“This mission is a direct consequence of years of failure by the Maltese Government and by the State as a whole to secure full justice for Daphne Caruana Galizia,” Casa, who heads the PN’s delegation in the European Parliament, said.He stressed that the increased scrutiny should not be interpreted as criticism of the Maltese courts or judiciary following Fenech’s acquittal.“This is not an attack on the courts or the judiciary. Their independence must always be respected,” he said.“But respecting the verdict does not mean ignoring the wider failures that led us here.”The Monitoring Group was established following the murders of Caruana Galizia in Malta and journalist Ján Kuciak in Slovakia, with its remit covering threats to the rule of law, press freedom and the fight against corruption across EU member states.Casa pointed to the fact that while several people have been convicted or admitted involvement in different stages of Caruana Galizia’s assassination, nobody has been convicted of commissioning her murder.“The hitmen are in jail. The bomb suppliers have been found guilty. The middleman admitted his role. Yet, almost nine years later, no one has been found guilty of ordering Daphne’s murder,” he said.Casa also criticised the Maltese government over its implementation of recommendations stemming from the public inquiry into Caruana Galizia’s assassination.The inquiry had concluded that the Maltese state bore responsibility for creating a culture of impunity which facilitated the journalist’s assassination.Casa said the European Parliament’s renewed scrutiny should ultimately focus on whether Malta’s institutions are functioning effectively and whether lessons have been learnt from the case.“Every citizen has the right to institutions that work, police investigations that are complete and prosecutions that are strong,” he said.“The European Parliament will now increase its scrutiny and come to Malta to seek answers. This cannot be where the story ends.”Last week, business mogul Yorgen Fenech was acquitted of complicity in the 2017 assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and of criminal association, with an 8-1 jury verdict clearing him following a two-month trial. The outcome triggered an immediate and emotional reaction outside the courthouse, where Fenech was met by an angry crowd upon leaving, before demonstrators gathered in Valletta later that evening to protest the verdict. Caruana Galizia’s family described the outcome as “justice denied”, while civil society and press freedom organisations renewed concerns over accountability in the case, particularly as no one has yet been convicted of commissioning the journalist’s murder.•