Both MaltaToday Managing Editor Saviour Balzan and former Times of Malta journalist Ivan Camilleri have issued denials over testimony in court by Keith Schembri.

During his testimony, Keith Schembri said that MaltaToday knew about the date of the raid the night before. He said that Saviour Balzan had contacted him about the raid and told him "you could have told me about the raid - he expected me to give him the information". However, MaltaToday did not publish this information, he added.

MaltaToday Managing Editor Saviour Balzan denied ever having had any prior knowledge of the police raid on the men charged with the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

"Keith Schembri's assertion in court that MaltaToday was aware of the raid is untrue," a statement by MaltaToday Managing Editor Saviour Balzan and Executive Editor Matthew Vella read.

"Conversations were held with several individuals including Schembri after the raid took place in the course of gathering more detailed information on the investigation."

During the sitting, Schembri also said that "Fenech sent me a message that there are the Times right behind him - today I know that's because of Ivan Camilleri's messages", he said.

Former Times of Malta journalist Ivan Camilleri also issued a denial statement.

"Reference is made to media reports regarding Keith Schembri's testimony in court today in which he gratuitously repeated claims made against me by my former employer, Times of Malta."

"I want to, once again, publicly, and categorically, deny that I ever passed on any information whatsoever to Yorgen Fenech in relation to his involvement in the heinous assassination plot of Daphne Caruana Galizia. I never had any such information in the first place, let alone passed it on to Yorgen Fenech. It is interesting to note that Times of Malta and Keith Schembri are repeating the same lie."

I have already filed legal proceedings against Times of Malta in relation to my unfair dismissal and I look forward to their conclusions so that truth can prevail, and justice is done. I also reserve my rights at law with regards to the statements made in my regards by Schembri in court today."

Times of Malta statement

"Reference is made to former journalist Ivan Camilleri's statement after he was mentioned in legal proceedings in court on Monday. Once again, Camilleri continues to make a number of insinuations which are nothing more than a total figment of his imagination."

"Once again, he claims he was dismissed because he had passed on information to murder suspect Yorgen Fenech in relation to 'his involvement in the heinous assassination plot' of Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder. The reasons Camilleri was sacked are very well known to him. Times of Malta stands by its decision to dismiss him for gross misconduct.