Former president of civil society group Repubblika, Robert Aquilina, has publicly accused a former police sergeant of being behind a deepfake AI image created to target and dehumanise him.

In a press statement, Aquilina revealed that he had originally reported the denigrating image to the Police Force in May as part of an ongoing, years-long campaign aimed at discrediting critics of the government. He noted that these dehumanising tactics mirror the systematic harassment previously targeting murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, which were condemned in the findings of her public inquiry.

Aquilina disclosed that confidential information recently led him to identify the perpetrator as former police sergeant Joseph Abela. Abela is the father of a sitting police inspector and the brother of former Judge Toni Abela, who was appointed Standards Commissioner for the Judiciary earlier this year.

According to Aquilina, the Malta Police Force verified the details and confirmed that the information was accurate. However, he also raised serious concerns regarding alleged interference intended to stall the investigation and prevent court prosecution, prompting him to demand a separate police probe into the matter.

Firmly stating that no threats, intimidation, or smear campaigns will deter him from his work, Aquilina emphasised that expressing an opinion remains a fundamental human right that must be protected without individuals being stripped of their dignity.