It doesn't matter it's illegal, it can happen and people get away with it, and the fact that it can happen has deep reaching chilling effects even when it does

It doesn't matter it's illegal, it can happen and people get away with it, and the fact that it can happen has deep reaching chilling effects even when it does not. Look at the case of Daphne Caruana Galizia, the Maltese journalist killed by two idiots who got paid 150.000€. The killer brothers are in jail and the rich asshole who ordered the killing is free. The fact that such a thing can happen in an EU country means that every shady business man can threaten and silence a journalist, not by killing them, just by hinting it could happen, and you will never learn anything about such cases.