Brothers admit killing Maltese anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana

Alfred and George Degiorgio pleaded guilty in exchange for a more lenient sentence

People gather at the Great Siege Square during a protest following the arrest of one of the country’s most prominent businessmen as part of the investigation into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia (Reuters)

Two brothers admitted on Friday that they murdered Maltese anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017, in a remarkable turnaround on the first day of their trial.

Alfred and George Degiorgio had submitted “not guilty” pleas when the case opened earlier in the day, but after a lengthy break, their lawyers said they agreed to acknowledge guilt in exchange for a more lenient sentence.

Paul Caruana Galizia, one of the murdered journalist’s three sons, welcomed the move, describing it as “a break in the clouds”.

Their guilty pleas mean four people have now admitted to taking a part in the murder. A fifth man, local businessman Yorgen Fenech, is still in jail pending trial. Prosecutors believe he commissioned the killing, something he denies.

Caruana Galizia, 53, was a household name in Malta for her investigative reporting. Her killing in October 2017 raised questions about rule of law in the European Union’s smallest member state.

During the morning session of the trial, prosecutors said the Degiorgios and another accomplice, Vincent Muscat, had originally planned to shoot Caruana Galizia but then procured a bomb which they placed in her car.

George Degiorgio set off the bomb from a yacht off Malta’s coast as Alfred Degiorgio and Muscat acted as spotters. Muscat last year admitted his role after a plea bargain in return for information and is serving a 15-year prison term.