Occupy Justice has highlighted the need for anti-mafia laws in Malta, arguing that the country's existing criminal legislation and court processes are inadequate for prosecuting corruption involving powerful political and business interests.

In written replies to questions sent by The Malta Independent on Sunday on the eve of the ninth anniversary of the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia, Occupy Justice argued that Malta needs specific laws and measures aimed at tackling organised corruption and powerful networks, topics frequently investigated by the journalist.

It rejected the idea that the current legal framework is adequate for prosecuting cases involving powerful business and political interests. It described relying on existing criminal legislation and court processes in such cases as insufficient.

The NGO argued that the Yorgen Fenech trial exposed links between business interests and political power. It said the evidence presented demonstrated that "powerful and shady business interests" are deeply entwined with the government.

On 2 September, Fenech was acquitted of complicity and conspiracy charges in the assassination of Caruana Galizia, who was killed in a car bomb on 16 October 2017.

Occupy Justice used the jury's outcome to argue that the justice system requires structural change. Its central message is that legislative reform is urgent, calling for change to Malta's legal system "now".

When asked what questions remain about the allegations made in court during the trial concerning former Office of the Prime Minister chief of staff Keith Schembri, Occupy Justice stressed that these remain allegations. The NGO acknowledged the defence's interest in implicating someone else. It said it was in the defence's interest during the trial to try and attribute the murder to another person.

It nevertheless believes the possibility of wider complicity should be investigated. Occupy Justice said it remains possible that other people were involved and called for a thorough investigation.

The NGO also raised concerns about delays in Malta's justice system. It argued that prolonged investigations and legal proceedings can result in evidence being lost and witnesses' memories fading. It further linked this to its broader call for systemic reform. The NGO said the justice system's slowness is another aspect requiring a "total overhaul".

Occupy Justice said it is not in a position to identify further legal avenues beyond the appeal which the prosecution has filed, stressing that it is not a legal organisation. Its focus is therefore shifting to urging political and institutional reform as it has been doing for years, rather than identifying additional legal mechanisms.

The NGO said the required reforms were already highlighted by the Public Inquiry into the assassination of Caruana Galizia, and argued that these concerns were reinforced by evidence heard during the criminal trial and by its outcome. It intends to lobby for those reforms, framing the trial as further evidence of what it described as longstanding political and institutional failures.

The NGO said its definition of "justice for Daphne" has not changed, describing its campaign as continuing as it has for the past nine years since the journalist was killed. It said its work will continue unchanged, signalling that the acquittal has not altered its campaign or demands for accountability.

It also argued that no one has yet been prosecuted for the corruption uncovered by Caruana Galizia's investigative work.

Occupy Justice said the government has failed to implement almost all of the public inquiry's recommendations. It has called for all of the recommendations to be put into practice, rather than identifying only a particular subset as urgent. The NGO said the public inquiry's purpose was twofold: to establish what led to Daphne Caruana Galizia's assassination and to identify measures to prevent a similar killing from happening again.

The NGO argued that failure to implement the recommendations leaves journalists exposed and institutions weak. It warned of a "chilling effect" on journalism, arguing that, without institutional reform, journalists are increasingly left to protect themselves, which undermines journalism's role in holding those in power to account. It said the necessary groundwork has already been done by the public inquiry, and characterised continued government inaction as a significant failure.

Occupy Justice rejected the idea that continued demands for reform necessarily undermine decisions taken in court or the rule of law. It drew a distinction between respecting a specific jury verdict and the broader rule of law. The NGO argued that the latter encompasses whether the legal system itself is adequately equipped to deal with serious organised corruption.

The organisation used the phrase "bringing a toothpick to a gunfight" to describe what it sees as the inadequacy of the current system when confronted with powerful criminal or corrupt networks. Its central demand remains reform accompanied by implementation, rather than simply changes on paper.

Occupy Justice will mark the ninth anniversary of Caruana Galizia's assassination on 16 October. The organisation's theme this year is Justice Demands Action. It said remembering Caruana Galizia is not sufficient and called for action to protect journalists and whistleblowers, strengthen institutions and address corruption and impunity.

The 16 October programme includes four events: a 10am whistleblowing workshop at the Casino Maltese led by Anna Myers of the Whistleblowing International Network; a 3pm silent gathering at the assassination site in Triq il-Bidnija; a 6pm mass for Daphne at St Francis Church in Valletta, and at 7pm the main rememberance event will take place. Occupy Justice said it will remember Daphne, stand with her family and renew its call for truth, justice and accountability.

The organisation has already held other events this month, including a protest concert on 4 October and a constitutional civic convention roundtable on 10 October. A public lecture on organised crime and anti-mafia civic action by Francesca Rispoli of Libera will take place on 15 October.

Occupy Justice said its post-trial focus will remain on three areas: defending journalists, demanding implementation of the Public Inquiry's recommendations, and challenging corruption and institutional failure. The NGO is presenting the events as a mobilisation campaign rather than solely commemorative activities, arguing that public participation demonstrates solidarity with journalists, whistlelowers and others challenging abuses of power.