Lawyer Marc Sant told CNN: “There was a court settlement … the settlement is 15 years in prison.” Muscat will also face financial penalties, he said.
Sant noted that he does not represent the other two suspects accused of murder, the brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio, but told CNN that they continue to plead not guilty.
CNN contacted the Malta Criminal Appeal Court for comment, but did not receive an immediate response.
Caruana Galizia, 53, was a leading Malta anti-corruption journalist who was killed in a car bomb attack near her home in 2017. Her family says she was “murdered” because of her work uncovering alleged corruption in the Maltese government.
“A person who admitted his involvement in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia denied
her right to life and denied her the right to enjoy her family, including her grandchildren who were born after she was killed, “said the lawyer representing Caruana Galizia’s family in court, according to a statement released by the Daphne Foundation Caruana Galizia.
“The family expresses the hope that this step will begin to bring full justice to Daphne Caruana Galizia”.