How journalist's horrific murder inspired Line Of Duty and brought down a government
| Date | 09 April 2021 |
| Published date | 09 April 2021 |
Her death provoked nationwide grief and anger, and eventually brought down a government widely believed to be implicated in the conspiracy.
The slaying of a 53-year-old mother of three, whose only crime was to shine a light on wrong-doing in high places, sent shock waves through Europe.
And today she is the inspiration for the story of the killing of a journalist in the latest series of Line Of Duty, the smash-hit television drama.
The tragic real-life tale begins in Sliema, the popular holiday resort in what was then the British Crown Colony of Malta, the Mediterranean island that won a George Cross for its heroic role in WW2.
Daphne Anna Vella was born there on August 26, 1964, the eldest of four daughters to businessman Michael Vella and his wife Rosie Marie. Convent-educated, she was drawn early into politics, being arrested as a teenager for taking part in anti-government protests.
She married young, to lawyer Peter Caruana Galizia, in 1985, before joining The Sunday Times of Malta, first as a reporter and then as a columnist.
Her investigative journalism, exposing corruption in high places, brought her into conflict with powerful politicians and their business cronies.
Retribution was swift. Hirelings from the Maltese underworld set fire to her house front, and slit the throat of the family dog on her doorstep. A neighbour’s car was torched, probably by mistake. The family home was set on fire while they slept.
The intimidation intensified after Daphne began a popular blog, Running Commentary, in 2008, delving into the island’s notoriously seamy public life.
Her disclosures infuriated the political elite, prompting numerous libel and defamation cases, none of which succeeded. Worse still, Mafia-style threats became more frequent. Her dog Zulu was poisoned and her collie Rufus had to be put down after being shot.
In March 2013, she was arrested and released after a few hours on the eve of a general election, after posting mocking videos of Labour leader Joseph Muscat. Fresh controversy followed her revelation of a brothel visit by a leading politician Chris Cardona on government business in Germany, and allegations against Opposition leader Adrian Delia of money laundering connected to a prostitution ring in London’s Soho.
More scandal erupted after publication of the explosive...
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