Malta's government has promoted Glenn Bedingfield to Minister for Home Affairs and Security, a move immediately condemned by press freedom advocates who point to a public inquiry that found his blog was the "worst expression" of a campaign to delegitimize murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The appointment, confirmed on June 3 as part of Prime Minister Robert Abela's cabinet reshuffle, places a figure once described as a "key operator" in undermining Caruana Galizia's work in charge of national security and law enforcement.
Why This Matters
• Home Affairs oversight: The minister now oversees police, immigration, and internal security—agencies directly involved in implementing the inquiry's unexecuted recommendations.
• Inquiry findings ignored: The 2021 public inquiry concluded the state created a culture of impunity that facilitated Caruana Galizia's assassination; Bedingfield was singled out in those findings.
• Ongoing controversy: The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation reports the government has not implemented inquiry reforms or provided support since 2021.
The Blog That Preceded Murder
Between 2016 and 2018, Bedingfield published approximately 1,000 posts targeting Caruana Galizia, with 597 featuring her name in the title, according to evidence submitted to the public inquiry. Operating from within the Office of the Prime Minister at the time, he described his platform as an "equal and opposite reaction" to the journalist's anti-corruption reporting.
The inquiry panel explicitly identified Bedingfield's blog as the most egregious element of a sustained denigrating campaign that prejudiced Caruana Galizia's rights as a journalist. During testimony in February 2020, Bedingfield defended his work as "freedom of expression," claiming he gave "a voice to those attacked by Daphne" and compiled a list of 558 individuals he said she had targeted.
More troubling for press freedom groups were allegations that Bedingfield encouraged readers to photograph Caruana Galizia in public—an act her family characterized as intimidation. He justified this by saying he was "giving her a taste of her own medicine," alleging she had published photos of Labour officials and their families.
The State's Role in Creating Impunity
The July 2021 public inquiry into Caruana Galizia's October 2017 car-bomb assassination concluded that Malta's government bore responsibility for creating an atmosphere that facilitated her murder. The panel found that the highest levels of government fostered a collapse in the rule of law, spreading impunity throughout state institutions.
Bedingfield's blog was singled out in this context—not as a direct cause of the killing, but as part of a broader pattern in which state-connected figures actively delegitimized a journalist investigating corruption. The inquiry found that certain officials, through campaigns like Bedingfield's, directly prejudiced Caruana Galizia's rights and contributed to the risks she faced.
After the inquiry's findings became public in August 2021, Bedingfield issued a statement saying he "played absolutely no role in facilitating any murder." He did not address the inquiry's specific findings about his blog, instead endorsing Prime Minister Abela's response. Before the report's release, he had criticized the inquiry as "politicised" and claimed it had gone beyond investigating the murder itself.
What This Appointment Means for Reform
The Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation immediately raised concerns about the appointment, noting that the government has failed to implement the inquiry's recommendations in the five years since its publication. The foundation also stated that it has received no government support since 2021, despite the panel's call for systemic reforms to protect journalists and restore the rule of law.
Bedingfield now oversees the Malta Police Force, the agency responsible for investigating threats to journalists and enforcing laws meant to protect press freedom. He also controls immigration enforcement and internal security operations—functions directly connected to several of the inquiry's unimplemented recommendations.
For international observers and European Union officials who have monitored Malta's rule-of-law challenges, the appointment signals a defiant stance from the Abela administration. Brussels has repeatedly pressed Malta to address impunity and strengthen judicial independence following Caruana Galizia's murder, which became a symbol of press vulnerability across Europe.
The Defence of "Counter-Attack"
During his inquiry testimony, Bedingfield insisted his blog was a legitimate response to what he described as Caruana Galizia's attacks on public and private individuals, including children. He denied setting up the anonymous blog "Taste Your Own Medicine," which the journalist's husband, Peter, had accused him of operating, though he acknowledged his own platform aimed to rebut her criticisms.
He also admitted to collaborating on a sketch for the ONE TV show "Tagħna t-tnejn" that portrayed Caruana Galizia as a witch, a decision he made alongside Luke Dalli. Bedingfield insisted the sketch was not incitement to violence and expressed sadness over the assassination, stating he was against all forms of violence.
The inquiry found that Bedingfield's blogging continued even after the murder, with posts alleging that Caruana Galizia's family was "not interested in discovering the whole truth" and had ordered the destruction of evidence. He faced suggestions during testimony that his posts implied the family was responsible for her death or was creating obstacles to the investigation—claims he refuted as untrue.
Accountability and the Path Forward
The appointment comes at a moment when Malta's government faces renewed scrutiny over its commitment to press freedom and judicial reform. The inquiry's 2021 report called for sweeping changes to how the state protects journalists, investigates corruption, and prevents conflicts of interest at the highest levels of government.
Five years later, none of the major recommendations have been fully implemented, according to the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation. The organization's statement on the Bedingfield appointment underscores the gap between the inquiry's findings and the government's actions, particularly the decision to elevate a figure explicitly named in the report.
For residents and investors, the appointment raises questions about rule-of-law stability in Malta. The European Commission's annual assessments have consistently flagged concerns about judicial independence and press freedom in the country, factors that influence everything from financial services regulation to property investment confidence.
Bedingfield's promotion also tests Malta's relationship with press freedom organizations and international partners who have made journalist protection a priority since Caruana Galizia's murder. Whether the Home Affairs Ministry under his leadership will implement the inquiry's recommendations—or continue the status quo—remains an open question with significant implications for Malta's standing in the European Union.
