Johann Cremona continued his testimony before the jury in the trial of businessman Yorgen Fenech on Thursday, with much of the morning devoted to secretly recorded conversations between Cremona and self-confessed middleman Melvin Theuma.
Throughout his evidence, Cremona repeatedly maintained that many of the statements heard in the recordings were false, insisting he had been "bluffing" or attempting to calm Theuma during what he described as an extremely stressful period.
The sitting also heard further testimony from Europol forensic expert Julia Toma before the focus shifted to Cremona's evidence.
Yorgen Fenech, a businessman, has pleaded not guilty to two principal charges: complicity in the wilful homicide of Daphne Caruana Galizia and criminal association to commit the murder.
Caruana Galizia, a columnist with The Malta Independent, 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.
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18:06 Judge Grima adjourns today's proceedings, which will resume on Friday morning. Thank you for following, we will have a roundup of today's sitting on our website shortly.
18:05 The defence continues questioning Cremona about why Kenneth Camilleri approached him to arrange a meeting with Melvin Theuma. Cremona says Camilleri told him not to get involved.
De Marco asks why, if that was the case, he did not simply tell Camilleri where Theuma lived.
Cremona replies that, for Camilleri to have approached him, "something must have happened" about a week earlier.
Judge Grima intervenes, asking him to clarify what he means.
"What happened? What do you think that 'something' was?" the judge asks.
Cremona responds that something involving Theuma had occurred which, to this day, he still does not know about, but which prompted Camilleri to think of him.
De Marco suggests this may have been around a week before Theuma went to Castille looking for Keith Schembri.
Cremona says Camilleri called him because he wanted to speak to Theuma. He then contacted Theuma and told him that someone wanted to meet him, without revealing the person's identity.
17:55: Cremona once again reiterates that he would tell Theuma things just to calm him down as he had been continually bothering him – even by sending him photos outside the police headquarters and Castille late at night.
Asked by the defence what he thought Theuma was trying to convey with such photos, Cremona said that Theuma was implying that he was going to expose everything.
Had Theuma ever told him that Keith Schembri had given him a phantom government job, or that he had a picture with him at Castille? Cremona replies in the negative.
17:30: The defence moves its line of questioning onto a claim that the Malta Security Service was intercepting phone calls involving people linked to the case. Cremona is asked whether he had made this up, but the witness responds that it was something that Theuma used to say.
The defence then asks about a handwritten document that Cremona had seen Theuma holding while at Portomaso. The document had the words "16 years" written on it, but Cremona says he can't remember the specific details - though he does say it was related to Vince Muscat's request for a pardon.
The transcript of a recording is read out: "the client did not accept 12 years and wants to bring down the case", is what Cremona said, before referring to someone going to Keith Arnaud rather than Arthur Azzopardi.
17:10: De Marco asks about Theuma's recordings of him, and says that Cremona had said that the recordings only show one side of the story - to which Cremona replies that when one is recording someone in secret, they have the advantage of saying what benefits them.
Cremona says that Theuma did not tell him that he was recording him, and that he thinks that his aim in doing so was so that he could become a witness against Fenech. Theuma did tell Cremona that he was recording Fenech, he says.
He again states that the police commissioner listened to the recordings before Theuma was arrested, and he agreed with the sentiment that Theuma had power through the commissioner, and that the commissioner had "that reputation."
The defence plays another recording, where Cremona mentions several people - including "Mario" and "Keith" - but he says that he made those claims simply to calm Theuma down.
"I was wrong because I should have thrown Melvin out," he says. "I kept putting up with him. Melvin made my life a misery for a year and a half. Look where he has brought me. I have nothing left because of him."
16:50: Questioning continues, this time centred around Theuma’s claims on money. De Marco suggests that had Chris Cardona not paid €400,000 for the trial of the hitmen, they would have expose him – and Cremona agreed.
Asked about lawyer Arthur Azzopardi, Cremona replies that Azzopardi was holding around €300,000 which belonged to Vince Muscat, but he didn’t know much else.
16:30: The defence asks Cremona whether Theuma had ever mentioned a presidential pardon to him, to which Cremona said that he had and that he had testified about it during the compilation of evidence. Cremona says that Theuma had told him that his pardon would cover both the murder and his money laundering troubles.
Cremona confirms more defence questions: that Theuma had said that he was negotiating with the police commissioner [then Lawrence Cutajar] for when the raid would be planned, that the raid would only concern money laundering, that Europol knew about the money laundering and the recordings, and that the police commissioner had listened to the recordings.
To each, Cremona replied "Yes."
Questioning turns to the police raid: De Marco suggests to Cremona that Theuma had told him that Edgar Brincat had paid the police commissioner €5,000, and Cremona confirms and says that Brincat had done it unconditionally because he considered Theuma like a son.
Cremona agrees with De Marco that Theuma knew where the raids were going to take place, and that he had suggested some places on where they may happen.
16:10 Cremona states that he never spoke to Kenneth Camilleri again after having coffee near Parliament in Valletta, and while he confirmed Kenneth worked in security at Castille, he did not believe Kenneth knew Yorgen Fenech or that there was any connection between them. The cross-examination then shifted to money laundering, with Cremona confirming that Melvin Theuma was well aware he had a money laundering problem.
16:00 Defence lawyer Giannella de Marco asks Johann Cremona about money allegedly sought to secure bail for the Degiorgio brothers and Vince Muscat, with Cremona testifying that he heard Melvin Theuma tell Kenneth Camilleri while walking in front of Parliament to prepare a bag of money for each of them for bail. Cremona confirmed that Theuma blamed Kenneth Camilleri, noting that Theuma had a habit of blaming people. When asked about money sought after the murder, Cremona confirmed that Theuma asked for money afterwards, and after requesting a specific recording to be played, agreed that Theuma was heard saying he would go to Castille and ask Keith Schembri for 100,000 euros so that Keith would shit himself.
15:45 Defence lawyer Giannella de Marco began her cross-examination of Johann Cremona, who confirmed that Melvin Theuma never spoke to him about the murder or involved him in any way prior to the crime. Cremona stated that Theuma only began speaking to him after he took Kenneth Camilleri - a member of then-prime minister Joseph Muscat's security detail - to Theuma's home, which occurred after Daphne Caruana Galizia had been killed and the Degiorgio brothers had been charged with the murder. Cremona confirmed that Kenneth Camilleri was the person who originally got him involved in the story.
15:36 Prosecutors played another recording in which Melvin Theuma recalled a conversation where Yorgen Fenech allegedly told him that power and strength belonged to them, with Johann Cremona explaining that Theuma was referring to money when using those terms. Theuma then complained that Fenech had abandoned him at his most difficult moment, recalling how before the murder he was constantly told to go speak to Fenech, whereas Fenech was now avoiding him. Theuma also referenced Fenech's friend Keith Schembri, and when asked about the phrase "when they still hadn't killed her," Cremona confirmed that Theuma was indeed referring to Daphne Caruana Galizia.
15:28 Prosecutors highlighted another part of the recording where Melvin Theuma expressed gratitude for having taken photos of all the messages and recorded Yorgen Fenech extensively. The conversation then shifted to money, with Theuma asking if Fenech had made significant profits from the power station and discussing reports about how much Keith Schembri was allegedly earning, prompting Johann Cremona to remark that it was 5,000 euros a day. Theuma suggested that given those sums, finding the money being discussed should not have been a problem. After asking for part of the recording to be replayed, Cremona told the court he did not actually know how much money Fenech made from the power station deal and that the figure of 5,000 euros came directly from the newspapers.
15:18 In another excerpt, Theuma told Cremona that he was considering making a deal with investigators to reveal everything he knew. Cremona was heard urging him to remain calm and warning him against ruining everything. The conversation then shifted to Fenech, with Cremona remarking that Fenech could not escape from the story even though he would like to, while Theuma questioned whether Fenech was even able to come up with the money being discussed.
15:10 Prosecutors highlighted another part of the recording in which an agitated Melvin Theuma repeatedly swore and said, "Come and see who you engaged," adding at one point that "he shouldn't have killed her." When asked who they were talking about, Johann Cremona confirmed that both he and Theuma were referring to Yorgen Fenech.
15:09 Cremona explained to the court that Theuma was referring to the Degiorgio brothers and that the alleged blackmail concerned money Fenech had given them. In the same recording, Theuma spoke about approaching Ray Fenech because Yorgen had a problem he wanted to resolve, with Cremona clarifying that Fenech would occasionally switch off his phone for about a week, which routinely caused Theuma to panic when he was unable to reach him.
15:03 Prosecutors played another recording in which an agitated Melvin Theuma claimed that Yorgen Fenech would never be free of the hitmen, stating that Fenech had engaged them and dragged him into the situation without realising that if they were caught, they would blackmail him for the rest of his life, to which Johann Cremona replied that he thought Fenech already knew that.
14:40 The court is back in session.
12:31: With that, the judge calls for a lunch break. The sitting will resume at 2:30pm.
12:30 When asked if he had any business or other links to Schembri, Cremona replied that he had nothing, stating they communicated mainly through Signal because he kept asking Schembri what might happen next due to the immense trauma, adding that he spent two years taking tranquillizers. When prosecutors asked if he was aware of the friendship between Keith Schembri and Yorgen Fenech, Cremona confirmed that he was.
12:25 Prosecutors continue questioning Cremona about messages exchanged with Keith Schembri regarding Keith Arnaud. When the prosecution asked why Cremona used the plural "we" in the messages, Cremona replied that he did not know or remember. Asked by the judge why he felt the need to speak to Schembri about Arnaud, Cremona explained that he was panicking because everyone was locked up at the time, describing the situation as traumatic and stating that he had nobody else to talk to. He confirmed that he and Schembri spoke regularly and that he had asked him what he thought was going to happen.
12:20 Johann Cremona was shown a screenshot of a chat containing messages that included "Let's not go up to testify," followed by a reference to lead investigator Keith Arnaud and a remark that "we won't let him." When asked if he exchanged these messages with Keith Schembri, Cremona confirmed them if they originated from his phone, stating he believed the exchange dated back to when police were questioning him. He acknowledged discussing Arnaud and their testimony with Schembri because Arnaud was putting a lot of pressure on them, and added that no court had ever ordered him not to communicate with Schembri.
12:15 In another recording, Melvin Theuma was heard discussing money being given to the brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio, who were later convicted of carrying out the murder. Theuma said he would give 100 euros a week, with another 100 euros from him and another 100 euros from someone else, and Cremona confirmed the conversation concerned payments to the brothers. Referring to the Degiorgio brothers, Theuma remarked that they liked killing and money. At another point, Theuma stated that "now he can face the problems," which Cremona explained was a reference to Yorgen Fenech. Theuma also expressed fears that the Degiorgios would expose only him, while Cremona attempted to reassure him by telling him he had bad thoughts in his head and asking what the brothers would possibly gain by exposing him while they were already in prison.
11:55 Jurors heard another recorded conversation in which Johann Cremona tells Melvin Theuma that Keith Schembri had become afraid of him. Cremona stated that Schembri, unlike Kenneth Camilleri, knew what was going on and was worried about Theuma, appearing to suggest that Schembri had knowledge of an impending police operation. While the conversation became difficult to follow at points, Cremona could be heard referring to a phone call and warning Theuma not to mention certain things over the phone. He also mentioned someone taking a phone away from another person who was about to call Matthew Caruana Galizia, the son of the assassinated journalist, and lawyer and former Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil.
11:50 Jurors heard another recording in which Johann Cremona reassures Melvin Theuma by telling him there is nothing on him. Cremona explained to the court that he was simply trying to convince Theuma that the police had nothing against him. In the same recording, Cremona tells Theuma that he had spoken to Kenneth Camilleri the previous day and that Camilleri had assured him there was nothing against Theuma. However, Cremona testified that this phone call to Camilleri never actually took place, stating that he had completely invented it in an effort to calm Theuma down.
11:40 Jurors listened to another secretly recorded conversation between Melvin Theuma and Johann Cremona. In the recording, Theuma mentions that Edgar Brincat, known as il-Ġojja, told him to put his mind at rest because authorities had nothing on him and would have arrested him if they had found anything. Cremona then asks if Theuma told Edgar about Kenneth Camilleri coming there, to which Theuma confirms he did.
Cremona is then heard telling Theuma that Yorgen Fenech is more important than Keith Schembri at that moment, stating that if Yorgen talks, Keith could end up in trouble, and adding that Yorgen has a lot to say about former police assistant commissioner Silvio Valletta, telling Theuma to "forget Keith." Theuma asks Cremona to send Keith a message to put his mind at rest, before the conversation turns to money and the Degiorgios, with Theuma noting that someone told him to get them out of this and to go tell hitman Fredu Degiorgio.
Cremona advises Theuma to tell them not to bother him, prompting Theuma to reply that if he does not sort it out, he will go to "the other one tomorrow." When Cremona asks if he means Keith, Theuma clarifies he means Raymond. Cremona warns him not to go to Keith because he is involved in the story, though Theuma insists Keith Schembri definitely knows the story. Cremona then suggests sending Keith a message telling him to call Ray Fenech and let him know Melvin is there.
11:06 In another recording played in court, Johann Cremona is heard suggesting to Melvin Theuma that he, Theuma, and Yorgen Fenech could arrange monthly payments of 2,000 euros each for George Degiorgio, Alfred Degiorgio, and Vince Muscat, il-Koħħu. Cremona told jurors that no such payment arrangement ever actually materialised. He also denied Theuma's claim that a meeting had taken place where they agreed to shift the blame for the murder onto former minister Chris Cardona. Cremona explained that at the time, Fenech was staying at a ranch in Zebbug, and on one occasion he drove Theuma there to drop off a bag of clothes where Fenech met them near the road, but he insisted there was never any discussion about pinning the murder on Cardona.
10:55 In another recording excerpt, Cremona told Theuma that everything hinged on something Theuma had previously said, and instructed him to prepare the recording so that he could take it to the police commissioner and Yorgen Fenech. While Cremona stated that Theuma had told him the police commissioner knew about the recordings, he could no longer recall which specific phrase he was referencing. Cremona was also heard telling Theuma that the police wanted to raid him because they were under pressure.
10:50 Cremona testifies that Yorgen Fenech knew there was a problem after discovering Melvin Theuma had been secretly recording him, adding that he had been patient with Theuma for a long time while trying to manage his changing moods and calm him down. In an excerpt played in court, Cremona is heard telling Theuma that he held the recordings and that the power was in his hands, though Cremona insisted he had never actually heard the recordings himself and explained he was hardly going to tell Theuma that what he possessed was worthless.
10:42 In a further recording, Cremona told Theuma that authorities knew everything, specifically that Yorgen Fenech had engaged him. Cremona confirmed he was referring to investigators allegedly knowing this connection, though he insisted he possessed no such information himself and was once again simply bluffing and going along with Theuma. An additional excerpt made reference to someone taking cocaine, though no further context was provided.
10:38 In another excerpt discussing lead investigator Keith Arnaud stating he could not arrest someone without evidence, Cremona testifies that he could not remember the context and was likely bluffing again. He was also heard telling Theuma that had the media mentioned his name nine months earlier during the period when convicted hitman Vince Muscat began speaking to the police, Theuma's name would have surfaced.
10:34 As prosecutors continued playing conversation excerpts, Cremona was heard telling Theuma that authorities were going to apprehend individuals because they had been under surveillance for some time, and remarked that Theuma had been mentioned in the media without his name being published. Cremona maintained in court that these statements were merely bluffing on his part.
10:29 Business associate of Yorgen Fenech, Johann Cremona, takes the stand to continue facing questions regarding secret recordings played in court between him and self-confessed murder middleman Melvin Theuma.
10:12 Under cross-examination by defence lawyer Giannella de Marco, Europol witness Julia Toma clarified that she was not formally appointed as an expert by the magistrate to examine the phones, but was instead tasked by her line manager, with whom her communication was strictly maintained. Toma stated that her manager gave her no reason for instructing her to stop the extraction, specifically denying that he mentioned any data leaks from the phone. When questioned about access, Toma testified that she was the only person who accessed the device, stated she did not remember if she ever gave the Maltese police access or a partial extraction, and explained that she was not allowed to keep personal notes.
10:07 Toma states that Europol successfully identified the six-digit passcode for one of the iPhones, but her manager subsequently instructed her to halt the partial extraction process, leaving the second iPhone permanently locked. She then proceeded to extract data from the SIM cards, while the phones themselves were handed over to another Europol colleague for further technical work.
9:45 Toma testifies that Europol carried out forensic extractions from Samsung and iPhone devices as well as SIM cards handed over by the Maltese police, with the work performed at Europol's headquarters. She explained that two other iPhones were protected by six-digit passcodes, noting that while some devices can be accessed without a code, others require a brute-force system to test possible combinations. Ultimately, one of the phones could not be accessed because the system was unable to determine its six-digit passcode.
9:28 Toma states that her report covered the extraction and analysis of data from electronic devices belonging to Melvin Theuma, Charmaine Farrugia, Shainne Farrugia, and Ryan Farrugia. She added that a separate report covered forensic work carried out from November 15, 2019 onwards, following instructions issued through the magisterial inquiry. The exhibits had been seized during searches linked to Theuma in 2019 and included storage devices used by Theuma, from which forensic images were created for analysis.
9:18 Toma testifies about a forensic report covering work carried out between November 15 and December 2019, explaining that her primary task was to provide forensic extraction support, after which the extracted material was categorized for analysis.
9:10 The judge and jury entered the courtroom, and Julia Toma, a forensic expert who worked with Europol between 2019 and 2023, began testifying via video link, though attendees note that the sound quality inside the courtroom was poor.