The trial by jury of businessman Yorgen Fenech has entered its 31st day, with more witnesses expected to continue testifying before Madam Justice Edwina Grima.
Tuesday's sitting saw jurors shown a series of messages extracted from Fenech's mobile phone, including personal Signal conversations between the businessman and former deputy police commissioner Silvio Valletta, who at the time was leading the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation.
The court also heard evidence relating to messages exchanged with self-confessed middleman Melvin Theuma and emails recovered from Fenech's laptop, while Wood testified about the events leading up to Fenech's arrest at sea in November 2019.
More witnesses are expected to testify as proceedings resume Wednesday morning.
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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DISCLAIMER: The below testimony includes graphic descriptions and mentions of suicide
17:26: The cross-examination of Inspector Brian Camilleri comes to an end, bringing today's sitting to a close.
A full, comprehensive summary of today's courtroom proceedings will be uploaded shortly.
17:13: Asked whether the WhatsApp conversation with now-Minister Rosianne Cutajar formed part of the information he passed on, the witness says he cannot recall, but does not believe he forwarded it.
He adds that the information was already available to Assistant Commissioner Keith Arnaud.
The witness gives the same reply when questioned about the SASSICIA chat, the 'No Valletta, No Party' WhatsApp group, and the other conversations referred to during the proceedings.
17:12: De Marco questions whether he checked if former deputy police commissioner Silvio Valletta was still involved in the investigation while communicating with Yorgen Fenech, the witness says this was not part of his duties.
He explains that it was for his superiors to determine Valletta's role, while his own responsibility was simply to pass the WhatsApp conversation on to them.
17:10: Defence lawyer Gianella De Marco asks Inspector Brian Camilleri about the list of electronic devices that was provided to him during the investigation.
Camilleri explains, which documents contain the list of devices and how it was recorded as part of the investigation.
The defence also questions him about a logbook referred to during the proceedings. The inspector says the logbook recorded requests for information made during the course of the investigation.
16:56: During cross-examination, defence lawyer Giannella De Marco questions Inspector Brian Camilleri about the electronic devices examined as part of the investigation.
Camilleri tells the court he received an email containing a list of the devices, but says it was neither his role nor that of the sergeant who compiled the list to carry out the data extractions.
He explains that he was informed the extractions were carried out by Europol and that his involvement was limited to analysing the extracted data.
The inspector confirms that the task force's role was to assess data extracted from Yorgen Fenech's devices, as well as other devices seized during searches.
He stresses that he never had the physical devices in his possession, only the data extracted from them.
Camilleri also confirms that he never had Keith Schembri's personal mobile phone.
He adds that he cannot say from memory exactly which devices were examined, but is certain that he did not have Schembri's mobile phone.
16:50: The defence begins its cross-examination of Inspector Brian Camilleri by focusing on his role in investigations involving state witness Melvin Theuma.
Camilleri tells the court he was assigned as supervisor of the task force and confirms that he was involved in an investigation concerning Theuma. However, he specifies that it was separate from the homicide case against Yorgen Fenech.
Questioned by defence lawyer Giannella De Marco, Camilleri says he had no involvement in the valuation or quantification of Theuma's assets.
He explains that he took over leadership of the task force from Inspector Nicholas Vella after Vella was transferred to another police section.
Camilleri also confirms that the task force received and analysed extracted data from the electronic devices of Melvin Theuma, Yorgen Fenech, Keith Schembri, and Schembri's children.
16:43: During questioning by prosecutor Godwin Cini, Inspector Brian Camilleri is asked whether he came across any Bitcoin transactions during his examination of the evidence.
The inspector replies that he found multiple references to Bitcoin transactions, particularly in relation to Kenneth Farrugia.
However, he does not and is not asked to elaborate further on the nature of those transactions.
16:38: The jury returns to the courtroom as Inspector Brian Camilleri resumes his testimony.
The court is shown a WhatsApp conversation between Yorgen Fenech and Ghasal Azad, a lawyer at an international bank.
Camilleri tells the jury he recognises the chat and its general subject matter but cannot recall the specific messages.
He says the exchange concerned the issuing of cheques and the liquidation of one of Fenech's companies.
The prosecution also refers to an email dated 25 May 2015 between Fenech and a service provider regarding the incorporation of 17Black.
The email relates to the steps required to set up the company, including the issuance of a certificate of incorporation and other corporate documents.
16:28: A disagreement breaks out between the defence and the prosecution after the defence claims the prosecution used the word "disgrace" during the legal argument.
The prosecution firmly denies making the remark, with lawyer Anthony Cini insisting he "swears he never said that."
The defence requests that the alleged comment be placed on record, while the prosecution categorically rejects that it was ever made.
16:24: The defence raises another legal objection after the prosecution refers to two further WhatsApp conversations, prompting the jury to leave the courtroom once again.
Defence lawyer Charles Mercieca argues that one of the chats is with a lawyer acting in her professional capacity and should therefore be treated accordingly.
He also contends that the prosecution is referring to conversations that are unrelated to the homicide case against Yorgen Fenech.
16:23: The jury is shown another WhatsApp conversation between Yorgen Fenech and former minister Konrad Mizzi, which Sergeant Brian Camilleri says formed part of the investigation into alleged leaks from the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder inquiry.
The chat includes a message from Fenech telling Mizzi, "Moira Delia talked to me." According to the prosecution, the conversation concerned securing a sponsor for Moira Delia's television programme.
16:19: The jury is shown a WhatsApp conversation between Yorgen Fenech and MaltaToday managing director Saviour Balzan from 9 June 2019.
Sergeant Brian Camilleri tells the court he remembers the general context of the exchange, which included a lengthy message from Balzan about allegations made by then PN MP David Thake concerning Fenech.
The chat also includes discussion about a MaltaToday article referring to 17Black, with Fenech complaining that the headline could have avoided mentioning the company.
Balzan replied the next day, telling Fenech "Yesterday I bit the journalist's head off and he changed it. You have to keep an eye on them" [Il-bieraħ kiltlu wiċċu lill-ġurnalist u biddilha. Trid toqod magħhom].
Camilleri repeatedly tells the court that while he cannot recall the exact contents of every message, he considered the conversation significant at the time and had forwarded it to his superiors as part of the investigation.
16:10: The court stops the prosecution from asking any further questions about the WhatsApp conversation between Yorgen Fenech and Pierre Portelli.
The ruling comes after Sergeant Brian Camilleri tells the court he remembers the general context of the exchange but is unable to remember the specific messages shared between the two.
16:08: The court is shown WhatsApp conversations between Yorgen Fenech and Pierre Portelli, the former head of MediaLink, the Nationalist Party's media arm, and a former president of the party's administrative council.
Sergeant Brian Camilleri refers to a message sent on 6 January 2019 in which Portelli tells Fenech: "Speak properly to Marthese."
The jury is also shown another exchange in which Portelli sends Fenech an article to help secure its publication in Orizzont.
16:06: Another WhatsApp conversation extracted from Yorgen Fenech's phone is presented in court.
Sergeant Brian Camilleri tells the jury that the chat is with Salman F Rahman, a Bangladeshi businessman and politician who at the time served as an adviser to the country's government.
Camilleri says the pair discussed a project in Bangladesh that was similar to the one carried out in Malta.
It was not specified which projects they were referring to.
Rahman is currently in custody in Bangladesh, where he is facing charges including murder and attempted murder.
15:47: The court is shown another WhatsApp conversation recovered from Yorgen Fenech's mobile phone, this time with Catherine Halpin, an engineer who at the time worked with Electrogas.
Among the messages exhibited is one in which Fenech tells Halpin: "I was online on that bloody dark web."
The conversation also includes discussions relating to Electrogas and a private company in Mrieħel.
In another exchange shown in court, Halpin asks Fenech: "Did you find out who leaked all those emails from EGM?"
Inspector Brian Paul Camilleri confirms that the chats formed part of the material extracted from Fenech's mobile phone.
15:44: Jurors are shown a WhatsApp group named 'Sassicaia,' which included then prime minister Joseph Muscat, former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri and Yorgen Fenech.
Sassicaia is an expensive Italian red wine from Tuscany.
Describing the exchanges, he says the "chat participants appeared to be very close."
Inspector Brian Paul Camilleri tells the court that the group was created in 2019, although he is unable to recall the exact date.
The inspector confirms that Joseph Muscat left the group on 29 October 2019.
He explains that the chat was brought to the attention of his superior officers because of the identities of those involved.
Camilleri further tells the court that Muscat and Fenech left the group on the same day, while Keith Schembri exited the group a few days later.
15:36: Sergeant Brian Camilleri continues his testimony by presenting another WhatsApp conversation involving Yorgen Fenech, this time with former Malta Gaming Authority chief Heathcliff Farrugia.
The court hears that, in one exchange, Farrugia tells Fenech he had spoken to "Kenneth from the FIAU."
Camilleri tells the jury that investigators found no grounds to pursue that particular conversation further.
15:19: We are back in Hall 22 after the break.
Judge Edwina Grima and the jurors re-enter the courtroom.
13:20 Court has adjourned for lunch break. Inspector Camilleri will continue testifying after 3pm.
13:16 The court is referred to a WhatsApp exchange between Yorgen Fenech and Marvin Gaerty, in which Daphne Caruana Galizia is allegedly referred to as "the witch."
At the time, Marvin Gaerty was the tax commissioner.
Inspector Brian Paul Camilleri confirms he is aware of the existence of the chats and tells the court that the conversation with Gaerty also concerned tax-related matters.
He explains that one of the messages referred to a transaction on which Fenech said he had paid tax.
The inspector also confirms that Wings Investment was incorporated in 2016, while 17Black changed its name to Wings Development in 2017.
13:14 The prosecution refers the court to a WhatsApp exchange between Yorgen Fenech and Labour MP Rosianne Cutajar, in which Cutajar writes: "Find out for me, my love" (Tkixxiffli naqra qalbi)
Inspector Brian Paul Camilleri confirms that the chat formed part of the material he examined during his analysis of the electronic devices.
13:12 The court is shown a photograph and a video shared in the "No Valletta, No Party" WhatsApp group.
The photograph shows Yorgen Fenech with former MFSA CEO Joseph Cuschieri, while the video depicts Cuschieri and Kenneth Azzopardi disembarking from Fenech's boat at Portomaso.
Joseph Cuschieri is currently CEO of Project Green.
Inspector Brian Paul Camilleri confirms the existence of the group chat but tells the court he is unable to recall its contents from memory.
12:58 The court is shown a WhatsApp group chat recovered from Yorgen Fenech's mobile phone titled "No Valletta, No Party."
The group consisted of five members: Yorgen Fenech, former Deputy Police Commissioner Silvio Valletta, former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri, Joseph Cuschieri, and Kenneth Azzopardi.
12:47 Judge Grima again rebukes both sides over their conduct in court, describing their behaviour as "deplorable."
She says the lawyers have been exchanging remarks directed at one another and even at the court, adding that they appear to have forgotten they are taking part in a solemn jury trial.
The judge also remarks that some of the comments appear intended to impress the jurors. She warns that if the behaviour continues, the court will again find the lawyers guilty of contempt.
12:43 Prosecutors reject the defence's claims, insisting they were at no stage questioning the witness about any other criminal proceedings involving Yorgen Fenech.
They tell the court that Inspector Brian Paul Camilleri's testimony is confined to investigations concerning 17Black and Wings Development Ltd. in connection with the present case.
Judge Grima rules that the inspector's testimony must be limited to work carried out in relation to the case before the court and that he should refrain from offering interpretations or opinions on that work.
12:34 Charles Mercieca argues that the prosecution's line of questioning goes beyond the scope of the charges before the jury by referring to alleged criminal offences involving companies linked to Yorgen Fenech.
The defence insists that the witness should be questioned only on matters directly related to the case before the court, warning that it will seek a mistrial if the questioning continues along the same lines.
12:26 Defence lawyer Charles Mercieca once again raises a point of law concerning redactions in a document being exhibited.
Following the objection, the jurors and the witness are asked to leave the courtroom while the court hears legal submissions.
12:20 The court is shown an email dating back to May 2015, recovered from Yorgen Fenech's laptop.
Inspector Brian Paul Camilleri explains that it contains a banking document relating to 17 Black's bank accounts, including clarifications on a number of transactions
12:10: The next witness is Inspector Brian Paul Camilleri, who tells the court he has served with the Police Corps since 2001 and has been stationed within the Financial Crimes Investigation Department (FCID) since 2014.
Camilleri explains that in 2019 he was not one of the lead investigators in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation but formed part of a task force set up to examine and analyse data extracted from electronic devices seized during searches.
He says the team reviewed digital material such as emails, photographs and messages.
The inspector also authenticates documents relating to the task force, explaining that while he oversaw the progress of its work, he was not personally involved in the investigation itself.
11:58: Eunice Grech Fiorini confirms further statements given by Yorgen Fenech during police interrogation.
She also confirms that she was requested to exhibit the compilation of evidence and formally present it as part of the court records.
The witness proceeds to authenticate two additional statements made by Fenech.
The contents of the statements are not mentioned.
With no further questions from either the defence or the jurors, her testimony comes to an end.
11:53: The jurors re-enter the courtroom as Eunice Grech Fiorini, who at the time served as registrar of the courts, resumes her testimony.
11:45 The defence formally places a number of requests on record, including that the jury should not be made aware of Yorgen Fenech's request for a presidential pardon.
Judge Grima rules that the references identified by the defence should be removed.
However, she explains that while the video recordings of Fenech's statements cannot be edited to remove those references, the statements themselves remain admissible as evidence because they were given while the accused was assisted by his lawyers.
11:13 After hearing arguments from both sides over partially redacted court documents, Judge Grima finds prosecutor Godwin Cini and defence lawyer Charles Mercieca guilty of contempt of court and fines each of them €50.
The judge had already ruled in the defence's favour, agreeing that the redacted passages remained visible.
However, despite repeatedly instructing both lawyers to stop arguing, they continued blaming each other over who should have identified the issue earlier.
Although both lawyers apologise to the court, Madam Justice Grima leaves the fines in place and warns that further contempt fines will follow if the arguments continue.
11:05 As the documents are being exhibited, defence lawyer Charles Mercieca raises a point of law, arguing that passages intended to be redacted remain visible because the black marker used to conceal them is not opaque enough.
Judge Edwina Grima agrees with the defence, noting that the concealed text can still be read, and orders that the folder containing the documents be removed from the jurors' tablets.
11:03 Eunice Grech Fiorini takes the witness stand and is asked to authenticate a number of documents forming part of the compilation of evidence.
Grech Fiorini, who at the time served as Registrar of the Courts, confirms the documents before they are exhibited in court.
10:55 Former Deputy Registrar Dr Maria Ruth Ciantar takes the witness stand and confirms the authenticity of a number of court documents, including a court decree related to the inquiry into alleged leaks from the murder investigation.
The defence does not cross-examine the witness, bringing her brief testimony to an end.
10:48 The three psychiatrists explain that they assess whether a person's account is coherent and internally consistent by asking detailed questions about the people and events they describe.
They tell the court that delusions or hallucinations often contain unrealistic or fantastical elements that do not correspond with reality.
With no further questions from either the defence or the jurors, Jean Pierre Giorgio, Ethel Felice and George Debono conclude their testimony.
10:41 Defence lawyer Giannella De Marco continues questioning Melvin Theuma's July 2020 suicide attempt.
She tells the court that Theuma had been due to be confronted with an audio recording, but the hearing was postponed because of a technical issue.
The suicide attempt took place the day before this sitting.
The psychiatrists reply that they did not examine the details of the court proceedings, explaining that their assessment was based solely on what Theuma told them during their evaluation, as this was the scope of their assignment.
10:39 Defence lawyer Giannella De Marco begins her cross-examination by asking the three psychiatrists whether Melvin Theuma had received any psychiatric treatment before his suicide attempt.
They reply that they do not remember, explaining they did not have his clinical notes before them.
De Marco also questions Theuma's will, noting that it was drawn up on 7 December 2017, three days after the arrests of the Degiorgio brothers and Vince Muscat.
The psychiatrists explain that it was not their role to verify the truthfulness of what Theuma told them. Instead, they say their task was to determine whether he was mentally capable of understanding his actions.
They confirm they carried out no independent verification because it did not form part of their assessment.
10:34 The psychiatrists tell the court that, when their report was finalised in 2021, Melvin Theuma was still suffering from anxiety, fear, and remorse over his role in the events surrounding Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder.
They say he told them he felt responsible for the suffering caused to his own family.
He also told them he found it difficult to testify in the presence of Yorgen Fenech, his lawyers, and Daphne Caruana Galizia's family, adding that he felt mocked by Fenech and his legal team while giving evidence and found it emotionally challenging to face the victim's relatives because of the remorse he felt.
The psychiatrists say that Theuma was diagnosed with a mixed anxiety and depressive disorder following Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder and his suicide attempt in July 2020.
They conclude, however, despite his condition, Theuma is mentally fit to testify, although they recommended that he should not be subjected to excessively long court sittings.
10:30 Theuma attempted suicide in July 2020 the day before he was expected to continue giving his testimony in court.
Theuma had been rushed to Mater Dei Hospital after he was found in a Swieqi apartment with stab wounds down to trachea and vocal cords and multiple wounds to his abdomen.
10:21 The three psychiatrists tell the court that Melvin Theuma described a suicide attempt in July 2020, during which he first drank a bottle of acid before slitting his throat with a knife. When this failed, he stabbed himself six times in the abdomen.
He then attempted to jump from a balcony but was unable to do so after slipping in his own blood.
The doctors say Theuma was taken to Mater Dei Hospital, where he was admitted for treatment.
They add that he told them he had written a letter to Assistant Commissioner Keith Arnaud explaining that he had inflicted the injuries on himself.
According to the psychiatrists, Theuma also said he hoped Matthew Caruana Galizia would one day forgive him.
The psychiatrists also tell the court about a separate medical incident in August 2020 in which Theuma reported experiencing a severe headache radiating to his shoulder before going to bed.
He went to hospital the following morning, where doctors informed him, he had suffered a heart attack caused by a blocked artery.
10:14 Three psychiatrists- Dr Jean Pierre Grech, Dr Arthur Felice and Dr George Debono - testify jointly about their assessment of Melvin Theuma's mental state following his suicide attempt.
The psychiatrists tell the court they were tasked with determining whether Theuma was mentally fit to testify.
They examined him on two occasions, on 20 November 2020 and 4 January 2021, while he was receiving psychological care and medication.
According to the doctors, Theuma told them he had never suffered from mental health problems before Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder, despite knowing what was going to happen.
However, after the assassination, he said he realised the gravity of what he had done, telling them: "My eyes were opened. I realised what I had done."
The psychiatrists say Theuma told them he drafted a will leaving everything to his partner because he believed he was going to die.
He also said that the day after the murder he went to Yorgen Fenech and told him, "They're going to catch us. I'm going to lose everything, including my son."
According to the testimony, Fenech gave him anti-anxiety medication to calm him down, after which he began taking the medication together with whisky.
The doctors further testify that Theuma spoke of repeatedly contemplating suicide, including by jumping off a roof or drinking a toxic liquid, but said he always stopped himself after thinking about his son.
They also tell the court that Theuma said he personally paid the Degiorgio brothers €300 each per week because he feared they would expose him and was concerned Yorgen Fenech would believe he was keeping the money for himself.
09:57 Nancy Zammit confirms the transcripts she prepared from audiovisual recordings of Keith Schembri's statements.
She presents copies of the transcripts to the court before concluding her testimony.
Neither the defence nor the jurors have any questions for the witness.
09:54 Judge Grima, the jurors and witness Nancy Zammit re-enter the courtroom as proceedings resume after a technical issue is resolved.
09:29 The technical issue affecting the court's recording system has yet to be resolved, forcing proceedings to remain suspended.
Judge Grima informs the court that the sitting will resume once the recording system is fully operational.
09:26 Nancy Zammit is called as the day's first witness.
Zammit is the person who transcribed Keith Schembri's statement.
Before she begins testifying, proceedings are briefly interrupted due to a technical issue with the court's recording system.
09:25 The jurors now enter the courtroom as proceedings continue before Madam Justice Edwina Grima.
09:18 Before the jurors enter the courtroom, Madam Justice Edwina Grima hears a legal issue concerning the publication of a video that had also been exhibited in court. The video is that of ex-police chief Silvio Valletta posing in a white Rolls Royce as Yorgen Fenech films him.
Prosecutor Anthony Vella informs the court that he was made aware yesterday that the video had been circulated in the media.
Madam Justice Grima, however, states that once evidence is heard and exhibited in open court, it is no longer private, adding that this is also provided for by law.
09:00 Welcome to our live coverage of day 31 of the trial by jury against Yorgen Fenech. Proceedings are expected to start soon.