The trial of Yorgen Fenech is set to continue following the conclusion of Melvin Theuma's lengthy testimony, which ended with the defence accusing the self-confessed murder middleman of lying to protect Keith Schembri and tailoring his evidence to secure a presidential pardon.
Theuma finally stepped down from the witness stand on Saturday after days of intense cross-examination, during which Fenech's lawyers sought to dismantle his credibility and challenge his account that the businessman commissioned the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Fenech 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, Giannella de Marco 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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9:48 Defence lawyer Charles Mercieca raised several points of law, first complaining that Inspector Sean Friggieri was testifying about certain matters for the very first time, which he argued was inconsistent with standards in previous jury trials. His second objection concerned prosecution questions regarding investigations extending beyond the specific murder charge, arguing that this line of questioning could improperly imply that Yorgen Fenech had committed other unrelated crimes. The defence formally requested that the court restrict the inspector's testimony strictly to matters he had previously covered in prior testimony.
9:39 Inspector Sean Friggieri said that in December 2019, Assistant Commissioner Ian Abdilla contacted him regarding a formal criminal complaint. The complaint was lodged by the family of Daphne Caruana Galizia based on revelations that emerged in court between November and December, during the period when Yorgen Fenech was arrested and multiple individuals were called to testify. According to that testimony, there were strong indications that confidential information was being leaked to Fenech by Keith Schembri, who was serving as chief of staff to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat at the time. The complaint specifically targeted Schembri on suspicion of unlawfully leaking official information.
9:37 The next witness to take the stand is Inspector Sean Friggieri, who has served at the Financial Crimes Investigation Department for the past decade. He testified that he first became aware of Yorgen Fenech on the night prior to Fenech's arrest, noting that he had never previously been involved in any investigation where Fenech was named as a suspect or a complainant. Because he was assigned to the economic crimes squad at the time, he and several fellow officers were called in and instructed to remain on site as authorities anticipated launching multiple parallel investigations.
9:30 Roberta Bonello Felice took the stand as the first witness of the day. Her brief testimony centred on confirming various documents and police statements she had previously transcribed from individuals featured prominently in the trial, including Yorgen Fenech's physician Adrian Vella, Fenech's yacht captain Logan Wood, former Office of the Prime Minister security guard Kenneth Camilleri, and Edgar Brincat, an associate of middleman Melvin Theuma.
9:22 Judge Edwina Grima entered the courtroom and before the jurors were brought in, prosecution lawyer Anthony Vella informed the court that the prosecution intended to reference evidence from the inquiry into police leaks, a case in which Keith Schembri faces charges of breaching the Official Secrets Act. However, the prosecution did not have the CD containing the evidence, although one of the scheduled witnesses brought a copy. Judge Grima expressed clear annoyance at the mishap, stating that such evidentiary materials must be flagged well in advance so the court's IT team can locate them on the evidence list before the witness testifies, particularly since that witness was first in line for the day's proceedings.