The trial by jury of Yorgen Fenech over the assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia resumes on Monday before Judge Edwina Grima, with the prosecution continuing its presentation of evidence with the testimony of Assistant Police Commissioner Keith Arnaud.
Cross-examination of the witness by the defence started in the afternoon.
On Friday and Saturday, Arnaud gave a detailed account of how the investigation evolved following the arrest of Melvin Theuma in November 2019. The jury heard how secret recordings made by Theuma, conversations retrieved from the encrypted messaging app Signal, and data extracted from Yorgen Fenech's mobile phone became central pieces of evidence that significantly advanced the murder investigation.
Fenech, 44, has pleaded not guilty to two principal charges: complicity in the wilful homicide of Daphne Caruana Galizia and criminal association to commit the murder.
Arnaud, the lead investigator in the case, testified for a whole day on Friday, giving an account of the police investions that led to arrests after the journalist was killed in a car bomb on 16 October, 2017.
Five men have already been convicted in connection with Caruana Galizia's assassination. Vince Muscat admitted his role in the murder in 2021 and was sentenced to 15 years' imprisonment. Alfred and George Degiorgio each received 40-year prison sentences after pleading guilty in 2022, while Robert Agius and Jamie Vella were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2025 for supplying the bomb used in the attack.
The prosecution is being led by Attorney General lawyers Godwin Cini, Anthony Vella and Danika Vella, assisted by Assistant Commissioner Keith Arnaud and Inspector Kurt Zahra. Fenech is represented by lawyers Charles Mercieca, Gianella Demarco and Gianluca Caruana Curran, while lawyers Therese Comodini Cachia and Jason Azzopardi are appearing parte civile on behalf of the Caruana Galizia family.
Judge Edwina Grima is presiding over the case.
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18:00 Arnaud confirmed he regularly updated the inquiring magistrate on investigative developments, noting that the magistrate maintained the authority to appoint experts and order specific investigative actions. He explained that police requested a copy of the magisterial inquiry for the proceedings against the Degiorgio brothers because they suspected other persons of interest existed, while keeping the original with the magistrate to ensure the ongoing investigation could proceed. Regarding the magistrate's order to extract call profiles for Anthony Mifsud and Chris Cardona's driver, Arnaud reiterated that the magistrate could execute such measures independently without prior police knowledge. De Marco requested that the cross-examination continue on Tuesday.
17:50 De Marco pointed to a 2018 decree by then-inquiring magistrate Neville Camilleri ordering expert Martin Bajada to obtain call profiles for one of Keith Schembri's phone numbers, arguing this proved Schembri was already a person of interest at that time. Arnaud testified he was unaware of that order, noting that magisterial inquiries operate independently of the police and often gather information without informing them. De Marco then questioned Arnaud about Anthony Mifsud, a former police officer and security guard at the Malta Freeport. Arnaud confirmed he knew of Mifsud but stated he did not know whether Mifsud had also worked as a security officer for former minister Chris Cardona.
17:40 De Marco asks Arnaud if the large volume of articles written by Caruana Galizia about Keith Schembri and Chris Cardona were considered in the investigation. Arnaud maintains that these public articles did not constitute evidence in the murder inquiry, stating his focus was on establishing the facts of that period. When de Marco compared one of the victim's final blog posts-featuring Schembri and the caption "There are crooks everywhere"-to the importance of the police surveillance at the Marsa potato shed, Arnaud retorted, "I know my job well."
17:35 Arnaud denied ever being told by court experts that Keith Schembri and Chris Cardona were among their identified suspects. He explained that these experts were legally required to report only to the court, and any direct disclosure to police would have been a breach of the law. He reiterated that all communication with experts had to be conducted through formal requests, and noted that police only sought the previously mentioned report once they became aware of its existence to clarify the circumstances.
17:15 Under questioning from the defence, Arnaud confirmed that (then) Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera had summoned Keith Schembri and Chris Cardona for questioning and that Europol provided significant support, including data analysis and forensic expertise. Regarding a report identifying Schembri and Cardona as murder masterminds, Arnaud stated that it was never provided to his investigation team nor included in the magisterial inquiry. He noted he only learned of its existence much later, at which point he took steps to have it included in the proceedings, noting that the defence had somehow obtained knowledge of the report before the police did.
17.10 Arnaud testified that he, not the prime minister, always initiated the meetings at Castille. He explained that these sessions were not intended as briefings for the prime minister but were necessary to seek guidance on matters exceeding the police commissioner's remit, such as presidential pardons. Arnaud noted that Keith Schembri often concluded these meetings by stating, "We'll speak again," as they coordinated the investigation's direction. Regarding attendance, Arnaud stated he believed the Minister for Home Affairs was present at the first meeting in November and likely attended the meeting concerning Vince Muscat's presidential pardon as well.
17:00 De Marco asked Arnaud whether investigators had checked with officers from the local police station to establish whether patrols had been carried out near Daphne Caruana Galizia's home. Arnaud referred to the testimony of a witness seeing a man keeping watch near the journalist's residence. He said he had not reported the incident at the time and was only approached by police during the investigation. De Marco also asked whether the police commissioner had accompanied Arnaud to meetings at Castille. "Yes," Arnaud replied.
16:55 De Marco questioned Arnaud about police surveillance outside Daphne Caruana Galizia's Bidnija home before her murder. De Marco said there had once been a police presence near the family home, which allegedly stopped after Lawrence Cutajar became police commissioner. Arnaud said he could not remember and questioned what evidence existed that Caruana Galizia had been assigned a police patrol. Asked whether the issue had been investigated, Arnaud said he had not been involved in decisions relating to Caruana Galizia's protection. "I don't think I looked into it, and I don't remember," Arnaud told the court, adding that investigators had instead focused on more significant developments in the case.
16:48 De Marco questioned Arnaud about police surveillance of the Degiorgio brothers before Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder. Arnaud said investigators monitored the Marsa potato shed "as much as we could" and also carried out searches and arrests. He said the brothers were frequently seen fishing there, but police never observed anything indicating criminal activity. He told the court surveillance had to be carried out carefully to avoid alerting members of what he described as an organised crime group. "You can forget following them around without them noticing," Arnaud said. Asked whether either the police or the Security Service had uncovered anything suspicious through the surveillance, Arnaud replied: "Unfortunately, no."
16:40 During cross-examination, defence lawyer Giannella de Marco asked Arnaud to confirm that he and Inspector Kurt Zahra had been investigating a series of bombings and drive-by shootings before 2017. Arnaud said there had been around six bombings and four or five drive-by shootings. He confirmed that the Degiorgio brothers had been persons of interest in some of those investigations, but declined to elaborate, saying it could prejudice other cases. Arnaud also confirmed that the brothers' official phone numbers had been tapped by the Security Service, but said their burner phones were not under surveillance. Asked whether they had also been physically followed, he said he could not answer.
16:36: The trial has moved to the cross-examination stage, with defence lawyers questioning lead investigator Superintendent Keith Arnaud.
16:29: The court was shown messages exchanged in November 2019 between Fenech and a former Castille official who worked in Keith Schembri's office. The court ordered a ban on publishing the woman's name. Superintendent Keith Arnaud said the exchange began with the official asking, "Still awake?", to which Fenech replied, "I'll have to leave." Asked where he intended to go, Fenech replied, "Where we went together the first time," adding: "Because they're going to pin everything on me." When the official asked whether he had spoken to a lawyer, Fenech replied: "Yes, but Keith is playing his game too."The official later told Fenech, "I just want you to know I'm here to help," before writing, "He's distancing himself."Fenech replied: "That's not what he's telling me." Arnaud said the exchange continued with the official telling Fenech: "Keith needs to speak to you," to which he replied: "I've spoken to him." Later in the conversation, Fenech wrote: "I haven't slept all night. I'm going to Sicily... not because I feel like it, but because I have to. Hopefully they allow me some quiet time." Arnaud said the official continued sending Fenech messages after his arrest, but he never replied.
16:11 Arnaud reads a message where Fenech told Keith Schembri, "When you have the draft terms of the agreement, we'll tweak them a little," which the witness identified as the draft agreement later recovered from Fenech's phone. When asked by the prosecution about Schembri's response to this, Arnaud explained that in his police statements, Schembri admitted to being in contact with Fenech the night before his attempted departure. According to Arnaud, Schembri claimed he was trying to convince Fenech not to flee and confirmed they had been discussing the draft agreement concerning Melvin Theuma's presidential pardon.
16:07 Arnaud states that investigators uncovered additional Signal messages regarding €20,000 in cash and Fenech's intent to consult lawyer Gianella de Marco before fleeing Malta. The court viewed a separate exchange between Fenech and "Uncle Ray," where Fenech asked, "Can I count on you on legal fee?" and received the response, "Yes... it just depends on how much cash I have." Arnaud then highlighted Signal screenshots recovered from over 100,000 images on Fenech's phone, showing Fenech asking Schembri, "Do you think it's better if I leave?" Schembri replied, "Are you still thinking about Gianella?" to which Fenech indicated he would try to speak to her, or alternatively contact lawyers Tonna Lowell or Franco Debono.
16:01 Arnaud testifies that police held ongoing meetings regarding Melvin Theuma's presidential pardon while awaiting feedback from Europol, weighing whether to arrest him immediately or allow his money laundering investigation to develop further. He noted that briefings at Castille occurred periodically from 2017 through September or October 2019. Turning to recovered Signal messages, Arnaud explained that Europol identified screenshots of conversations between Yorgen Fenech and a contact labeled "George," which investigators concluded was Yorgen's brother, Franco Fenech. These messages, sent as Yorgen prepared to leave Malta, mirrored previously presented WhatsApp chats, including a warning from Franco: "Be careful because the mobile is tapped and they've intercepted your call with Logan."
15:46 Arnaud testifies that as the investigation progressed, he maintained contact with Vince Muscat (il-Koħħu) and his lawyer, with the goal of securing a presidential pardon for Muscat if his information could be corroborated. Following a new update from Muscat that matched existing evidence, a meeting was held at Castille on November 18, 2019. By this time, Silvio Valletta had left the investigation and provided Arnaud with Keith Schembri's contact details to facilitate further meetings at Castille. Arnaud says that these meetings were requested by the police, not by officials at Castille. He noted that the November 18 discussion centred mainly on operational logistics, as there had been few new developments at that stage.
15:35 Arnaus testified that the arrests of the hitmen at the Marsa potato shed were set for December 4, 2017, with Europol continuing to assist in evidence analysis afterward. He recalled further meetings at Castille in late April 2019: a session on April 26 attended by himself, the police commissioner, the deputy commissioner, Joseph Muscat, and Keith Schembri, followed by another meeting that focused on Melvin Theuma's presidential pardon, which included the Attorney General and several members of parliament in addition to the previous attendees. Arnaud noted that the investigation proceeded in tandem with ongoing coordination between the police, the Attorney General, and Europol.
15:30 Arnaud testifies that during the first meeting at Castille, police did not disclose the names of any suspects. By the second meeting, however, investigators had identified the suspects and shared their names with the attendees. Arnaud stated that police did not reveal the timing of the arrests, as this depended on operational planning, including the availability of the Armed Forces of Malta, various police teams, and the assignment of a Europol representative to each location. He explained that because police were waiting for these confirmations, no arrest dates had yet been set.
15:27 Arnaud resumed his testimony, detailing meetings held with then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat regarding Melvin Theuma's presidential pardon. The first meeting at Castille, attended by then-Assistant Police Commissioner Silvio Valletta, involved a briefing on potential developments in the murder investigation. A second meeting took place during the final week of November 2019; while Arnaud could not recall all participants, he confirmed that Joseph Muscat, Keith Schembri, the Attorney General, and the Police Commissioner were among those present.
15:20 Judge Grima upheld the defence's objection, ruling that Arnaud cannot testify about location data extracted from Yorgen Fenech's mobile phone. Although the prosecution claimed a USB containing this data was part of the case file, the judge determined it had not been formally exhibited in the acts of the case. Consequently, the judge ruled that the witness may only testify about evidence already part of the court record and cannot provide interpretations of material that has not been properly exhibited.
15:10 Court in back in session
13:12 Defence lawyer Charles Mercieca objected to Arnaud's reference to Fenech's phone location data, arguing that because the material is not part of the case acts, it should not be presented to the jury. Prosecutor Anthony Vella countered that Arnaud was simply summarising investigation findings and that the jury should be allowed to evaluate the evidence, noting there is no law barring its admission at this stage. Madam Justice Edwina Grima, however, expressed strong reservations, stating, "If it's not in the acts, we cannot hear about it," and criticised the prosecution for not including the material beforehand if they intended to use it. The judge deferred her decision until after the break.
12:59 Arnaud testifies that investigators scrutinized messages following Fenech's claims that then Prime Minister Joseph Muscat had shared investigative information. Recovered chats showed Fenech writing, "I'll see you later, Prime Minister," to which Muscat replied, "Yes, see you tomorrow at 1.30pm," followed by a message the next day where Muscat asked, "Did you enjoy it?" and Fenech noted he felt shy due to the crowd. Arnaud reported that during questioning, Muscat denied all of Fenech's allegations, including claims of private meetings at Castille or the leaking of information. Additionally, police cross-referenced Fenech's claim of visiting Castille twice by reviewing his phone's location history. Defence lawyers raised an objection at this point in the testimony, and the jurors leave the courtroom.
12:54 Arnaud testifies that in a police statement, Fenech claimed he met with Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who had summoned him, presented him with a gift, and asked about Melvin Theuma. When the Prime Minister inquired if Fenech trusted Theuma, Fenech allegedly replied, "Of course not. He records me." According to Fenech, the Prime Minister then reassured him, "Don't worry, he's going to be arrested."
12:48 Arnaud continues to read from recordings in which Fenech told Theuma that Schembri had "gone into the fire" because of him. Fenech recounted a meeting where Schembri shared details of Vince Muscat's police statement, and expressed distrust toward former assistant commissioner Silvio Valletta. In the recording, Fenech claimed he asked Schembri if he had done anything wrong, to which Schembri allegedly replied, "You should have told me earlier." Fenech concluded by telling Theuma that he now carried the burden alone, asking, "Didn't I mess it up?"
12:30 Arnaud presents recordings illustrating rising fears that the investigation was closing in. Theuma asked Fenech if he recalled the €150,000 payment, which Fenech confirmed. Theuma suggested the authorities were not targeting Fenech because he was "their salvation," and argued that the real betrayal stemmed from Keith Schembri rather than the Degiorgio brothers. Fenech speculated that investigators were pressuring suspects to incite panic, warning, "The government will panic... then it'll reach me, and I'll panic you." Fenech also stated he would do whatever he could, noting he had challenged Schembri the previous day, telling him, "You haven't helped me at all."
12:23 Arnaud recounted a recording where Fenech complained to Theuma, "You took that man from A to Z, yet I'm the one who has to worry." Theuma reassured him, stating, "You don't have to worry because, if they get to the point of exposing anyone, they'll mention me." Theuma further insisted that the hitmen did not know about Fenech, swearing on his son that he had never mentioned him. Arnaud noted that another conversation was part of a plan to make Theuma panic after reports that Vince Muscat (il-Koħħu) was speaking to police, although Theuma later suspected those reports were false.
12:18 Arnaud presented further recordings that contradict Fenech's claims to police. These include Fenech giving Theuma money to go on holiday and calm down - a detail corroborated by Edgar Brincat, known as il-Ġojja - and Fenech instructing Theuma to "destroy everything" and discard his SIM card. Regarding Caruana Galizia's laptop, Fenech is heard telling Theuma that speaking to the magistrate or the prime minister about it would be "the biggest mistake of my life." Additionally, the recordings confirm ongoing payments to the Degiorgio brothers, with Fenech stating his intent to continue helping them and warning, "We can't make mistakes because we'll drag more people into trouble." Fenech is also heard complaining about the Degiorgio brothers' bail status.
12:05 Arnaud testifies that secret recordings contradict Fenech's claim that the initial €50,000 payment was intended to prevent the murder. Instead, Arnaud highlighted exchanges where Fenech told Theuma, "I messed it up... there's nothing you can do now," and "Let's not drag more people into the net... Keith sent for me to help." Arnaud concluded that these recordings were entirely inconsistent with the version of events Fenech later provided to the police.
12:00 Arnaud testifies that Fenech claimed he had Melvin Theuma find someone after Keith Schembri allegedly told him to do so, with Schembri supposedly replying "go ahead" once a person was identified. While Fenech admitted to passing €50,000 to Theuma and a total of €450,000 - matching Theuma's own figures - he insisted the money was not for the murder. Arnaud noted that Fenech's timeline contradicted evidence from the hitmen and that Fenech refused to explain a €120,000 payment, promising to address it later but never doing so.
11:55 The prosecution asks investigator Keith Arnaud to explain Fenech's account regarding his planned departure from Malta. Fenech insisted with police he had no intention of fleeing, despite evidence to the contrary. Regarding the murder, Arnaud testifies that Fenech claimed his payments were not intended to fund the killing. Fenech alleged that in late 2016, then OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri complained about Caruana Galizia's reporting on him while he was ill and instructed Fenech to "find someone".
11:45 Court is back in session
11:00 The procedures are suspended for a 30-minute break.
10:55 Arnaud presents further messages between Fenech and "Logan Riva." Fenech informed Logan he was at the marina for a walk and inquired about travel time. Fenech dismissed the urgency, noting that photographers were present and believed they were planning a "grand escape."
10:46 The court reviews messages between Fenech and "Logan Riva," the suspected boat captain. Logan noted that Franco had requested the boat be prepared for Sicily, but warned Fenech, "Don't come. There is a photographer from Times." Fenech insisted that "nothing will happen," instructed Logan to claim the boat was under maintenance if questioned, and confirmed his plan to be "offshore tomorrow."
10:43 Arnaud continues reading messages between Fenech and his brother. Fenech's brother warned him to be cautious with cash and mentioned that the boat captain, Logan, required €5,000. Fenech replied that he had €20,000 in cash on hand. Arnaud noted that Fenech planned to depart by boat with Logan, while his brother and Simon were to travel via ferry, with Fenech also instructing his brother to "get feedback from Aunty."
10:37 The court reviewed messages exchanged between Fenech and his brother on the morning of his arrest. Fenech instructed his brother to contact "Uncle Ray". His brother urged him to reach a safe location, and when Fenech expressed his desire to speak with his lawyer, Gianella de Marco, before departing, his brother pressed him to act immediately, stating, "You should have done that ages ago." They discussed escape plans, including travelling by boat to Sicily and then to Paris. Despite Fenech's insistence on speaking to de Marco first, his brother warned, "We're running out of time," and advised him to speak to her from abroad instead.
10:25: The court is told about another exchange in English recovered from Fenech's phone, in which he asked a contact to find him "a small place for two weeks" and offered to pay cash. Although the contact offered to host him, Fenech insisted on "privacy" in a house or hotel. The contact then sent links to several Airbnb properties and offered to book one under their own name, to which Fenech replied: "Take it for me tomorrow for two weeks and I come Thursday."
10:20 Arnaud tells the court that as Yorgen Fenech waited at the Portomaso Marina, he messaged "Uncle Ray" to report that "Times (of Malta) are here." Uncle Ray replied that someone had tipped them off. Fenech stated he would look into a 11:30pm flight. When asked who might have informed the media, Fenech replied that "Ivan told me because he was in the newsroom and heard them talking." In response to the judge's inquiry, Arnaud confirmed that Ivan was a journalist.
10:13 Arnaud testifies that Fenech asked "Uncle Ray" to look after his family, stating, "Only God knows what will become of me." The conversation shifted to finances, with Uncle Ray noting that Franco had plenty of cash. When Uncle Ray suggested using bank cards later, Fenech warned him to be careful, as such transactions could be traced. Uncle Ray confirmed he had spoken to "K" (Keith Schembri), to which Fenech replied, "Keep calm. Nothing is going to happen today." Uncle Ray ended replies: "OK, but don't trust anyone."
10:07 Arnaud continued reading messages exchanged between Fenech and "Uncle Ray" on November 19, 2019. Fenech noted there were "no flights to Paris". Uncle Ray advised him to "check if the airport is safe" and to "leave through the VIP terminal" if possible. Fenech replied that he did not trust that option and preferred to "go by boat." Uncle Ray then told him to "check with K" - whom Arnaud identified as Keith Schembri - and mentioned that "Simon and Franco will come with you." Later, Fenech asked if Uncle Ray had cash; Uncle Ray replied he had €70,000 "at Diona." Fenech said he did not need it immediately but wanted to ensure his wife was provided for. Finally, Fenech asked Uncle Ray to "keep an eye on my children" and "take care of them," to which Uncle Ray replied, "Be safe."
10:03 Arnaud continued reading messages exchanged between Yorgen Fenech and "Uncle Ray" on the eve of Fenech's arrest. Uncle Ray warned that another story was expected in the Times of Malta the following day. Fenech replied that he would speak to lawyer Gianella de Marco. Uncle Ray stated he would call her himself and advised Fenech to move to a safe place "while there's still time." Fenech responded by asking if de Marco could come to his house, as he wished to speak with her before leaving.
9:57am Arnaud further stated that investigators discovered urgent messages from November 19, 2019 - the day before Fenech's arrest - regarding flights from Malta to Nice. These were exchanged with a contact saved as "Pilot of son," who provided several options, including one costing approximately €13,000.
9:49am Arnaud testifies that following Fenech's 2019 arrest, police seized his iPhone and obtained a partial data extraction within 24 hours. A standout conversation was a chat with "Uncle Ray," which began with a link to a Times of Malta article published on November 17, 2019, regarding the prime minister's comments on the murder investigation.
09:40: Attorney General lawyer Godwin Cini asks lead investigator Keith Arnaud to identify various documents and discs presented in the courtroom. Arnaud explained that the collection includes DVDs containing audio and video records of interviews he and Inspector Kurt Zahra conducted with several key individuals. These include multiple sessions with Johann Cremona, a business associate of both Yorgen Fenech and Melvin Theuma; three interviews with Dr. Adrian Vella; and several police interrogation sessions with former chief of staff Keith Schembri.
09:39: Proceedings have resumed. No explanation has been given in open court.
09:30 Just as the jurors sit down, they are once again sent out of the courtroom. The judge also leaves and is heard saying: "Let me see what happened."
We're not quite sure what is happening but it seems that something happened to one of the jurors.
The parties have now been called into the chambers of Judge Edwina Grima.
09:15 Judge Edwina Grima has just entered the courtroom and jurors are summoned inside as well. Keith Arnaud, the lead investigator and assistant police commissioner, takes the stand.
09:05 We are live from the courthouse in Valletta to report on day 5 of Yorgen Fenech's trial by jury.