Panama Papers Journalist Murdered in Malta

Daphne Caruana Galizia, the journalist who led the Panama Papers investigation into Maltese corruption, was killed on Monday when her car was destroyed by an explosive device. Galizia’s reporting recently revealed that Malta’s prime minister, Joseph Muscat, as well as several of his aides were connected to offshore companies which received payments from the government of Azerbaijan. Her reporting spurred recall elections of Muscat’s government, with Muscat holding on to power this past June.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack, and Muscat condemned it as “barbaric,” despite acknowledging Galizia as a “harsh critic” of his. Muscat also announced that FBI agents will assist in the investigation, after his call for help from the international community.

Galizia filed a police report 15 days before the murder, citing death threats. Her last blog post, about a corruption-related court appearance, posted less than 30 minutes before the bomb went off.