Alfred and George Degiorgio, the brothers accused of being the hitmen who killed journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, have lodged another request for a presidential pardon in exchange for information about the involvement of a former minister in the murder.

The brothers, through their lawyer William Cuschieri, sent the correspondence to the President on 4 April this year, also highlighting the past requests they had made.

The brothers have also filed urgent Constitutional proceedings against the Prime Minister, Justice Minister, Cabinet, The Police Commissioner, State Advocate and Attorney General.  

In their court filings, the Degiorgios claim to hold information about a murder mastermind and middleman who have not been charged or pardoned, in connection with the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. They said that the information they have is direct information, and not hearsay.

Thus far, Yorgen Fenech has been charged with masterminding the murder while Melvin Theuma has received a presidential pardon after admitting that he was the middleman in the murder.

In their court application, the Degiorgios are arguing that their rights to a fair hearing could be breached if the Attorney General, Police Commissioner, Cabinet and others again do not listen to what they have to say and just recommend that the pardon request be refused.

"This is not what happened in other pardons that were granted to Melvin Theuma and Vincent Muscat, and is not in the national interest, nor is it in the judicial interest that the whole truth not be known."

"This is why the applicants presented these proceedings at this stage, so that they will stop a breach of their fundamental rights from taking place."

They are asking the courts to declare a probable breach of their fair trial rights if their request is denied without them being heard first, and to give them an effective remedy including by ordering that the respondents listen to what the Degiorgios have to say regarding the pardon before taking any decision or give any recommendation on the pardon.

In correspondence sent on March 22 in 2021, the brothers had also said that they were willing to give information on other crimes, including to name a former minister and also a sitting minister (at the time) who were "masterminds" behind an attempted robbery and an attempted homicide, as well as other persons involved in the cases.

However their requests for a pardon were denied.

At the end of April 2021, Cuschieri wrote back to the President after the pardons were refused, arguing that the Degiorgios were never spoken to, and asked for the requests to be reconsidered.

Their request was again denied in June 2021.

On 4 April 2022, the brothers have now filed another request for a pardon.