Journalist who led Panama Papers probe killed in car bomb blast

An ardent blogger her posts attracted more readers that the combined circulation of the country’s newspapers.

The journalist who led the Panama Papers investigation has been killed in a car bomb blast at Malta.

Daphne Caruana Galizia died on Monday afternoon when her car, a Peugeot 108, was destroyed by a powerful explosive device which blew the vehicle into several pieces and threw the debris into a nearby field.

An ardent blogger whose posts attracted more readers that the combined circulation of the country's newspapers, she was recently described by the Politico website as a 'one woman Wikileaks.

Her most recent revelations pointed the finger at Malta's prime minister, Joseph Muscat, and two of his closest aides, connecting offshore companies linked to the three men with the sale of Maltese passports and payments from the government of Azerbaijan.

No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Malta's president, Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca, called for calm. "In these moments, when the country is shocked by such a vicious attack, I call on everyone to measure their words, to not pass judgment and to show solidarity," she said.

"Everyone knows Caruana Galizia was a harsh critic of mine," said Muscat at a hastily convened press conference, "both politically and personally, but nobody can justify this barbaric act in any way". Muscat announced later in parliament that FBI officers were on their way to Malta to assist with the investigation, following his request for outside help from the US government.

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