From: Exit Staff
Men Questioned Over Daphne Bomb Had Alleged Links to Albanian Organized Crime

Two Maltese men questioned over obtaining the bomb that killed investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has been accused of having links with Albanian organised crime as well as Italian, Sicilian and Libyan organised crime groups.

The brothers were arrested in December 2017 following alleged involvement in supplying the bomb that was placed under the journalist’s car. They were implicated by Melvin Theuma in a compilation of evidence against Yorgen Fenech, the man who is accused of ordering the assassination.

They were arrested with eight others, some of which went on to be charged with planting the bomb. Matthew Caruana Galizia, Daphne’s son also named them as potential suspects to have supplied parts of the bomb. He called out the Maltese authorities for failing to prosecute and convict them.

It was alleged earlier in the year that the Agius brothers acquired some of the parts to make the bomb from Albanian criminals.

In an interview with Arber Hitaj for Exit, Matthew said that it’s not confirmed if the bomb had anything to do with Albania. He said it could have come from Sicily but that there is a “very strong link between the Sicilian Mafia and the Albanian Mafia.” He also noted the worrying links between criminal gangs and politics in the country.

Exit previously contacted the Ministry of the Interior for comment on whether they were cooperating with Maltese law enforcement regarding the alleged link but despite being promised an answer, none was given.

Now, confidential information received by the Investigative Reporting Project Italy as a part of The Daphne Project has found that the Agius brothers were involved in crime in Italy, Romania, Libya, and Albania.

It’s reported they have been subject to investigations throughout Europe for cigarette smuggling, weapons smuggling and trafficking, and other Mafia-type activities.