"There are still not enough deterrents against organized crime and corruption," laments AFP Matthew Caruana Galizia, before Saturday's legislative elections for which the outgoing Labor government is given the favourite.

Seven men have been charged or have admitted complicity in his mother's murder, but he fears "the absence of a single corruption conviction" will have a lasting impact.

"It sends the message that corruption is okay as long as you can get away with it," he said.

The 36-year-old speaks from the family home near Bidnija, near where his mother's car exploded on October 16, 2017, a murder that shocked the Mediterranean archipelago and the rest of the world.

A photo of her can be seen by the side of the road, and purple ribbons are tied to the branches of a nearby tree.

Before her death, she had been harassed for her revelations about links between members of Labor Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's government and Maltese businessmen.

According to a public inquiry carried out in 2021, the involvement of the State in this assassination has not been proven but the tragedy has created a "climate of impunity" for those who wanted to silence it.

Legal changes

Mr Muscat resigned in January 2020 on suspicion of trying to protect his relatives in this investigation.

He was replaced by his Labor colleague Robert Abela, a big favorite in Saturday's election, who took measures to consolidate the rule of law and better protect journalists, in particular by strengthening the independence of judges and the police.

But Mr. Caruana Galizia considers this insufficient.

The investigation represents "a unique opportunity" for "a future without corruption, which would change Malta once and for all".

But for him, an "in-depth reform" is necessary.

The portrait of the murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, during a rally in Valletta, November 20, 2019 in Malta Matthew Mirabelli AFP / Archives

The investigation revealed the existence of an "orchestrated plan" at the top of the government to stifle the investigations of Daphne Caruana Galizia, and condemned the inability of the institutions to protect her work.

The government has also proposed legal changes to Strategic Public Action Prosecutions (SLAPPs), costly and baseless legal proceedings used to silence journalists.

Matthew Caruana Galizia welcomed these measures, but said he was "disappointed" that Mr. Abela had "outright rejected the anti-Mafia and anti-abuse of power legislation".

He warns against the politicization of the Maltese media, with the main parties owning TV and radio stations which "strangle independent media".

According to him, the fact that Mr. Abela refuses to grant interviews does not inspire confidence in his desire to protect freedom of the press.

golden passports

While the election campaign was dominated by Labour's handling of the economy and the pandemic, the candles lit at the Daphne memorial outside the courthouse in the capital Valletta are a reminder that corruption is still on people's minds. .

The nationalist opposition party has highlighted the issue, noting in particular Malta's gray listing in 2021 by an anti-money laundering body.

Candles, flowers in front of a photo of murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, and a question "Who killed Daphne", April 16, 2018 in Valletta, Malta Matthew Mirabelli AFP / Archives

Russia's invasion of Ukraine also brought to light Malta's "golden passport scheme", which offers citizenship to wealthy investors.

Under pressure, the government suspended this possibility for citizens of Russia and Belarus.

But for Mr. Caruana Galizia, "the system must be eliminated in its entirety".

The Malta Chamber of Commerce rejects any suggestion that the country is largely corrupt.

But Matthew Caruana Galizia says the problem is "widespread" and nothing will change until Labor recognizes its scale.

"The heart of the Labor Party must be changed," he said, assuring that his family will continue to fight.

"My main concern is not revenge, it's deterrence. We want to make sure this never happens again, not just my mother's murder but also the corruption that preceded it."

Contacted, the Maltese government did not respond to AFP's requests.

© 2022 AFP