The police believe that all people who were involved in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia are either in custody or have already been charged, Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa said on Wednesday.

He also announced that four suspects arrested on Tuesday – on the day Vince Muscat il-Kohhu received his pardon – will be arraigned later this evening. Muscat’s pardon is related to the 2015 murder of lawyer Carmel Chircop.

While the police have not named the people arrested, three have been identified as Adrian and Robert Agius, known as tal-Maksar, and their associate Jamie Vella. The Agius brothers are believed to have supplied the bomb used to kill the journalist.

All three of them were among the 10 arrested by police in December 2017, when Muscat and the Degiorgio brothers were first arrested, but were released without charge some days later.

Gafa said that in all, four people will be arraigned in connection with the murder of lawyer Carmel Chircop tonight, while two of those four people will also be charged over their involvement in the Daphne Caruana Galizia case.

In the Daphne murder case, the two will be charged with complicity. The charges in the Chircop case will be related to complicity as well as masterminding the crime.

He said that the investigations into this case intensified after Vincent Muscat’s admission and granting of a presidential pardon, and that the police arrested three people on Tuesday afternoon.

Two of them were arrested in Bahrija while another was arrested in Swieqi.  One person who is currently being held in custody was also held by police for interrogation and will be arraigned tonight as well.

Gafa said that two vehicles were confiscated by police.  One was found with €50,000 in cash in it while another was found with 350 grams of what is thought to be heroin and two packets of suspected cocaine. 

Searches carried out in residences of those arrested found another €20,000 in cash, a cash counting machine, 25 mobile phones, two laptops, other technological devices, firearms, and other documents.

Europol has been enlisted to help analyse the data which will be elevated from these devices, Gafa said.

Gafa said the weapons seized include shotguns, machine guns, pistols and revolvers. Most of them seem to be registered but there may be some irregularities, such as failure to renew licences. He is not informed that any bomb-making material was found.

Searches carried out underwater by AFM for the weapon used in the Chircop murder but no weapon was found, probably as a result of the passage of time.

Gafa said all precautions are being taken since one of the arrested persons is positive for Covid-19. “We were in constant contact with the health superintendent and this is why the arraignment is taking place tonight, when the courts are mostly empty.”

The arraginment is being held in Hall 22, which is spacious, with journalists allowed to follow from the balcony.

The suspect will be wearing protective equipment.

Asked if the evidence given by Muscat has led the police to launch other investigations, Gafa said the police review cold cases from time to time, and they will be trying to solve some such cases from the new information received.

Asked by The Malta Independent whether any politicians have been named in the new evidence, or whether the persons investigated are linked with past car bombings, Gafa said he cannot disclose a lot of detail about ongoing investigations but said that, so far there is no evidence linking any politicians to these cases.

Asked if Vince Muscat is being given 24-hour protection, Gafa said he is in contact with the prison director, who assured him that the ncessary measures are being taken.

Asked if Daphne’s murder could have been avoided, Gafa said there is a difference between intelligence and evidence. He said the police have been focused on this murder since 2017. In reply to another question, he said he does not speak to the Prime Minister about ongoing investigations.

Asked if the police are investigating alleged links between between the suspects and the former owner of More supermarket, Gafa said he cannot disclose any information about the investigation but said the police are committed to solving all cases.