Abela Faces Scrutiny Over Refusal to Apologise and Disputed Family Outreach

· Updated

In brief

  • Prime Minister Robert Abela has declined to apologise for a 2018 social media post targeting Daphne Caruana Galizia's sons.
  • Matthew Caruana Galizia disputed the Prime Minister's public claim of having contacted the family to offer sympathy after the Yorgen Fenech verdict.
  • The conflicting statements have sparked fresh controversy over government relations with the family following the acquittal.

A fresh dispute has emerged between the government and the family of murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, following conflicting accounts regarding recent communications and past political statements in the wake of the Yorgen Fenech acquittal.

During a press conference held after the verdict, Prime Minister Robert Abela stated publicly that he had reached out to Peter Caruana Galizia, the late journalist's husband, to deliver a personal message of support and sympathy.

However, the journalist's son, Matthew Caruana Galizia, has directly contradicted the Prime Minister's account. He denied that such communication had taken place, rejecting the assertion that the Prime Minister had reached out to console the family.

The disagreement over the alleged outreach has coincided with renewed scrutiny regarding comments made by the Prime Minister prior to taking office.

Abela has refused to apologise for a 2018 social media post in which he accused Caruana Galizia's sons of being on a "mission to disrupt investigations" into their mother's 2017 assassination.

Despite calls from relatives and critics for a retraction, Abela stood by his refusal to apologise, further escalating public controversy surrounding the aftermath of the trial.

The Spin Room

Medium media divide. Coverage highlighted different facets of the controversy surrounding the Prime Minister's remarks, while ONE News was not among the sources we picked up for this story.

  • Newsbook: Emphasised Robert Abela's refusal to apologise for his 2018 social media post regarding Daphne Caruana Galizia's sons.
  • The Maltese Herald: Focused on Matthew Caruana Galizia refuting the Prime Minister's public assertion that he had reached out to Peter Caruana Galizia.

Sources (2)