Accused want magistrate replaced as Daphne murder compilation of evidence gets under way

The first sitting for the compilation of evidence against three men accused of killing blogger Daphne Caruana Galizia was suspended after 50 minutes today, with the accused insisting through their legal aid lawyers that Magistrate Donatella Frendo Dimech should recuse herself. The request for recusal was made after Magistrate Frendo Dimech declared in court that she was in the same class as one of Caruana Galizia's sisters, 20 years ago, and although they barely had contact since, they recently exchanged condolences after they both lost loved ones. The prosecution found no objection to the magistrate continuing to hear the case, but the defence argued that justice had to be seen to be done. The magistrate will give her decision at Noon.    Brothers Alfred Degiorgio (known as Il-) and George Degiorgio (Iċ-Ċiniz) as well as Vince Muscat, (known as il-koħħu), were arraigned on December 5 and pleaded not guilty to the car bomb murder which shocked the nation on October 16. Follow below developments as they happened this morning. 10.10 - The sitting has been suspended until noon for the magistrate to decide. 10.08 - The defence points out that an appeals court had found that in the...