A man serving time following an admission to his involvement in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017 told a court on Wednesday that, three years earlier, he had driven George Degiorgio to Portomaso to meet with then minister Chris Cardona and discuss a €150,000 hit on the journalist.

Testifying in court in a case instituted by the Caruana Galizia family for damages, Vince Muscat, known as il-Kohhu, gave details on the alleged aborted plot to kill the journalist in 2014, three years before her eventual murder, The Times reports.

Muscat was sentenced to 15 years in jail for his involvement in the 2017 murder. George Degiorgio and his brother Alfred were later sentenced to 40 years in jail after also pleading guilty on the first day of their trial last year.

Before Madam Justice Anna Felice, Muscat today explained his role as one of the three men involved in the planting and detonating of the bomb that killed Caruana Galizia on 16 October 2017.

He then testified on a previous attempt that took place in 2014, a plot he said was masterminded by Cardona and including George Degiorgio.

Muscat spoke about how in 2014 Degiorgio had told him about a meeting with Cardona. "I took him [Degiorgio] to Portomaso and dropped him off at the roundabout," he said, adding that later Degiorgio told him that the meeting was about settling the sum to "get rid" of Caruana Galizia.

"He did not tell me anytime else. But those €150K came from there. In truth, I never saw Cardona but George told me that those €150K were coming from Cardona," Muscat said. 

The witness was also cross-examined by lawyer Anna Mallia, who is assisting businessman Yorgen Fenech, who stands accused of complicity in the Caruana Galizia murder case.

Fenech’s lawyer asked if the witness had ever heard of Yorgen Fenech before the murder. Muscat replied, “No never. Until the bomb happened, no.” 

He was also asked if he had ever said as much to [lead investigator Superintendent] Keith Arnaud? Muscat said that he “did not remember if he had.”