Court hears witness say Daphne Caruana Galizia screamed before fatal car bomb in Malta

A Maltese court has heard testimony describing the final moments before the car bomb that killed journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017. A neighbour told the trial that she appeared panicked and screamed moments before the explosion near the village of Bidnija. The hearing is part of the long-running case over the alleged ordering of the killing, nearly nine years after her death.

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The witness, Francis Sant, said he was driving in the opposite direction when he saw Caruana Galizia's car coming towards him on the main road after she had left her home. He told the court that he first noticed something was wrong because she seemed frightened, then saw what he described as a first spark under the vehicle. He said a second, larger explosion followed, tearing the car apart and sending it into a field.

Caruana Galizia was killed by a remotely detonated bomb placed under the driver's seat of her car after she had reported on political and financial corruption in Malta. The case has already had major political consequences, including mass protests over the handling of the investigation and the resignation of former prime minister Joseph Muscat. The court has been told that Yorgen Fenech, a businessman and heir to a property and hotels fortune, is one of seven men accused by prosecutors in connection with the killing and is the last to face trial.

The testimony adds detail to one of Malta's most significant criminal cases and keeps attention on the unresolved questions around the assassination of a prominent anti-corruption journalist. Caruana Galizia's reporting had made her a central figure in scrutiny of corruption and financial wrongdoing on the island. The trial is therefore not only about the alleged mechanics of the bombing, but also about accountability in a case that shook public confidence in the state's response.

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The court was sworn in last week after what has been described as a tortuous legal process. According to the evidence heard so far, the attack unfolded within seconds after Caruana Galizia left her house in Bidnija and turned onto the main road. Sant said he did not immediately call emergency services because he believed there was no hope, underscoring how quickly the blast destroyed the vehicle.

What remains unclear is how the court will assess the witness accounts alongside the wider prosecution case against the accused. Fenech faces a life sentence if convicted, but the trial is still at an early stage and further evidence is expected. The proceedings will continue to test the strength of the case nearly nine years after the killing and may further shape public understanding of how the attack was carried out.

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