Panama Papers whistleblower Caruana Galizia killed in car bomb blast in Bidnija, son accuses Malta prime minister

Panama Papers whistleblower and investigative reporter Daphne Caruana Galizia, 59, was killed in a car bomb blast near her home at Bidnija in Malta.

Galizia died on Monday afternoon when her car, a Peugeot 108, was destroyed by a powerful explosive device.

Local police said that the explosion blew the vehicle into several pieces and threw the debris into a nearby field.

No group or individual has still claimed the attack.

According to reports, Galizia notified Maltese police that she had been receiving death-threats.

Galizia In her last blog posted just a few minutes before her car exploded had written, “There are crooks everywhere you look now. The situation is desperate.”

In an official statement released by Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat condemned the blast and termed it “barbaric attack”.

The statement read, “Everyone knows Caruana Galizia was a harsh critic of mine, both politically and personally, but nobody can justify this barbaric act in any way.”

According to the statement, he had asked the police to reach out to other countries’ security services for help identifying the perpetrators.

Muscat later tweeted, “a spiteful attack on a citizen and freedom of expression. I will not rest until justice is done."

This is a spiteful attack on a citizen and freedom of expression. I will not rest until justice is done. The country deserves justice -JM

— Joseph Muscat (@JosephMuscat_JM) October 16, 2017

The slain veteran journalist’s son, Matthew Caruana Galizia said that his mother had been assassinated for doing her job in investigating alleged corruption.

He on Facebook wrote, “My mother was assassinated because she stood between the rule of law and those who sought to violate it, like many strong journalists. But she was also targeted because she was the only person doing so.”

Also read: Panama Papers revelations trigger tax evasion probes

Matthew has accused Maltese prime minister and a list of people behind the killing.