Eight arrested in Malta over journalist's murder

VALLETTA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced Monday that authorities have arrested eight people in connection with the recent murder of a journalist.

The arrests came seven weeks after Daphne Caruana Galizia, a blogger and investigative journalist focusing on corruption and organized crime among other subjects, was killed in a car bomb attack near her home.

The suspects were captured in a joint operation by the armed forces, police and security services, and they are all previously known to the police, Muscat said at a press conference, adding that the police now had 24 hours to charge them.

The prime minister stressed that while he felt a need to update the nation on what was ultimately an issue of national security, he could not divulge too many details as the probe was still ongoing.

Asked whether he believes the arrested carried out the attack and whether their arrests could lead to the identification of a mastermind, Muscat refused to elaborate, only insisting that he has "a clear idea" of what their involvement was and that the government is committed to bringing the perpetrators to justice.

The killing of the 53-year-old journalist sent shockwaves throughout the world. The European Commission has called on Malta to get to the bottom of the crime.

The Mediterranean country observed a national day of mourning in her honor and has offered a 1-million-euro (1.19 million U.S. dollar) reward for information about her murder. Enditem