John Caruana’s Double Standards: Candles for Daphne, Complaints for Critics

Three weeks ago, this site revealed that John Caruana, a senior official at the Central Bank of Malta, was seen lighting candles and bowing reverently before images of Daphne Caruana Galizia at the Great Siege Monument — a national memorial, not a private shrine. Caruana, who heads the Monetary Policy and Operations and Eurosystem Relations Department at the CBM, was witnessed engaging in these acts by numerous passersby, including government employees en route to work.

John Caruana

While everyone is entitled to personal beliefs, it becomes a matter of public concern when a high-ranking official treats a national monument as if it were a private altar — especially when this behavior borders on idolization. Mr. Caruana appears more devoted to paying tribute to a controversial figure than to preserving the dignity of a national symbol.

But rather than address legitimate questions raised about his behavior in public, Caruana chose to retaliate. This week, he filed a formal complaint with the Office of the Information and Data Protection Commissioner — not to defend the monument he arguably disrespected, but to target me, a blogger who called out his conduct.

It’s a curious contradiction. Caruana, who made a public spectacle of himself at a national monument, now claims to be a victim because someone reported what dozens saw with their own eyes. Instead of accountability, we get a complaint. Instead of explanation, we get silence.

Let’s ask the questions Mr. Caruana won’t answer:

• How many candles has he placed on the monument?

• Has he ever taken responsibility for cleaning up after himself?

• Is he aware of the legal and cultural implications of treating a national monument like a personal memorial?

• Most importantly, is this how a senior figure at the Central Bank should be behaving — engaging in performative acts and then filing complaints when held to account?

By going after those who reported his actions, Mr. Caruana has revealed his true stance: free expression for him and his icons, but censorship for those who dare question him.

This site stands by its reporting and will continue to expose the hypocrisy of public officials who act with impunity — and then cry foul when the public holds them to account.