The visit will increase pressure on Malta following the European Parliament’s concerns over money laundering and police independence.
Jourova announced her intent to go to Malta during a news conference on Monday in Brussels when she introduced the EU’s new laws on whistleblowers.
The EU has demanded swifter action into the police investigation of Caruana Galizia’s death, according to the Guardian. A whistleblower involved in Caruana Galizia’s investigations had been previously sought by Malta.
“I of course want to inquiry about the state of play in the investigation on the murder of Madame Galizia,” Jourova said at the news conference.
“This investigation is not just about bringing to justice the people who have actually made the bomb, and made the explosion that killed Daphne,” the commission’s vice president Frans Timmermans explained at the news conference. “This is also about uncovering who gave the order to do that.”
“We will keep pushing the Maltese authorities.”
Caruana Galizia was killed by a car bomb in October while investigating alleged financial crimes by Malta’s business and political elite.
This included looking into the Golden Visa scheme where the wealthy could fasttrack their way to Maltese (and EU) citizenship. It is another topic that Jourova will discuss with the Maltese authorities, according to Reuters.
Since her death, a group of media organizations, including OCCRP, have come together for The Daphne Project to complete the various investigations she had underway.
