Yorgen Fenech told jurors on Monday that he felt betrayed by former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri as he continued to deny having any involvement in the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Fenech was being cross-examined by prosecutor Godwin Cini, with much of the questioning focused on alleged conversations between Fenech, Schembri and Melvin Theuma, as well as contradictions between Fenech's evidence in court and what he had told police following his arrest.

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.

Fenech said he was not angry with Schembri but felt "disappointed" and "betrayed", claiming that the authorities had combined what he described as a lie by Theuma with an attempt to protect Schembri and frame him.

He maintained that Schembri had been speaking about wanting Daphne Caruana Galizia killed for years, but insisted he had never taken those comments seriously at the time.

During his police interrogation, Fenech had said Schembri had been asking him, directly and indirectly, to find someone to kill Caruana Galizia since 2014. Fenech told the court that Schembri's motivation was personal revenge against the journalist rather than an attempt to stop her reporting.

"For Keith it was pure revenge," Fenech said, adding that he knew this because he had often been with Schembri.

Cini confronted Fenech with his account of an alleged conversation with Theuma in which Theuma told him that his "share" of a planned murder would cost €120,000 and that other people were involved.

Fenech confirmed that he had replied that he would "get back to" Theuma. He insisted this was not an indication that he had agreed to participate in the murder, but was an attempt to understand what Theuma and Schembri had discussed.

Fenech said he subsequently contacted Schembri because he wanted to know what had been discussed between the two men.

Cini, however, accused him of having placed himself in the middle of the alleged murder plot rather than reporting it to the police.

"You, the CEO of Tumas Group, ended up as the postman between Keith Schembri and a taxi driver," Cini told him, arguing that Fenech should have refused to become involved in any discussion about the murder of a journalist.

Fenech repeatedly insisted that he never paid anyone to kill Caruana Galizia.

Cini also questioned Fenech over the discrepancy in the alleged price of the murder. Vince Muscat had testified that the assassination cost €150,000, while Fenech had referred to €120,000.

Fenech said €120,000 was the initial figure and that the amount subsequently increased to €150,000.

Cini pointed out that Theuma, Muscat and George Degiorgio had all referred to €150,000.

Another major point of contention was Fenech's changing account of when the murder plot was discussed.

Cini also challenged Fenech over his failure to report the alleged plot or ask Theuma who the intended killers were.

Fenech said he did not ask because he considered it none of his business and because he did not trust the investigators.

He told the court that he had withheld information during his police interrogation because he believed investigators were trying to steer the questioning away from Schembri.

The prosecutor also questioned Fenech about his decision to remain silent during several parts of his police interrogation. Fenech had repeatedly told investigators that he would answer at the "opportune moment".

Asked when that moment had arrived, Fenech replied: "Today."

When pressed on whether he had given Theuma the €120,000, Fenech answered: "I never gave him the €120,000."

Cini questioned why he could not have given that answer during the interrogation. Fenech replied that he did not trust the investigation.

The prosecution also attacked Fenech's credibility over omissions in his police statements, including details about a lunch at his ranch attended by Schembri and Theuma.

Fenech acknowledged that his police account had not been comprehensive. He attributed some omissions and memory problems to the fact that, at the time, he was taking drugs and Ativan.

Cini accused Fenech of presenting the jury with a story that had been made up for the trial. Fenech firmly denied this.

The prosecutor also questioned Fenech about claims that Theuma had received a presidential pardon in exchange for his evidence. Fenech alleged instead that Theuma had secured the pardon because he had "paid the commissioner", a claim that Cini challenged.

Fenech also referred to recordings allegedly held by Schembri, saying: "One day we'll hear Keith Schembri's recordings, too."

Asked whether he possessed those recordings, Fenech replied that Schembri did and questioned where they might be.

The cross-examination ultimately returned to Fenech's explanation for his conduct after learning of the alleged murder plan. Cini argued that Fenech had numerous options, including reporting the matter to the police, warning Theuma or making an anonymous report.

Instead, Cini said, Fenech chose to tell Theuma he would "get back to" him.

Fenech continued to deny ordering or financing the assassination, saying he had never paid anyone to kill Caruana Galizia.

In the morning, the sitting opened with a security concern after the prosecution informed the court that former police commissioner Lawrence Cutajar, who has testified in the trial, had been seen swimming in the pool of the hotel where the sequestered jurors are being accommodated.

Judge Edwina Grima said the court had already taken immediate action, but expressed concern over how information about the jurors' location had reached the media.

The prosecution said the defence knew where the jurors were staying. Defence lawyer Charles Mercieca said the defence had received a photograph from people who happened to be at the hotel and had immediately alerted the registrar. The prosecution, however, questioned how members of the public had known that the hotel was being used to house the jury. Mercieca declined to identify the source.

Prosecutor Godwin Cini then continued questioning Fenech about his network of political contacts.

Fenech acknowledged that he knew former parliamentary secretary Rosianne Cutajar and that he had occasionally bought her gifts. He said he had originally got to know her because she had been mayor of Qormi, where his father's family had roots.

Cini asked Fenech about a message from Cutajar asking him to "tkixxifli naqra" -  effectively asking him to find something out - in connection with a Cabinet reshuffle. Fenech said she may have approached him because she felt comfortable with him and because of his contacts, although he insisted he had never approached former prime minister Joseph Muscat about the matter.

The prosecutor also questioned Fenech about former tourism minister Edward Zammit Lewis, whom Fenech described as a good friend.

Cini suggested that Fenech used his position and connections to make people feel obliged to him. Fenech denied this.

Attention then turned to a WhatsApp group called "No Valletta No Party", which Fenech confirmed included himself, Schembri, former police commissioner Silvio Valletta, former gaming regulator Joseph Cuschieri and other individuals.

Cini played a voice recording in which Fenech referred to Simon Busuttil and said: "You can protest as much as you like, you can go to court 27 times, but the inquiry cannot be reopened."

Fenech played down the significance of the recording, saying the group was used to share jokes and that he could not remember whether the comment referred specifically to the 17 Black inquiry. He said he was mocking Busuttil over his repeated trips to court.

The prosecution then returned to the relationship between Fenech, Schembri and Theuma.

Cini showed jurors an image found on Fenech's phone containing a list of people associated with serious criminal activity.

Fenech said the document could have been on his phone but that he did not remember it. When asked how such a report had ended up in his possession, he said he was certain Schembri had sent it to him.

Cini also asked Fenech whether he had instructed Theuma to warn the Degiorgio brothers that police had discovered evidence concerning the murder and were preparing arrests.

Fenech confirmed that he had passed on the warning, but said he had done so on Schembri's instructions.

The prosecutor also referred to €450,000 which Fenech had previously admitted handing over because Theuma had told him that Mario Degiorgio needed money for legal and other expenses. Fenech confirmed the payment and said €60,000 of the amount was intended for bail.

Fenech was also questioned about his role as an intermediary between Theuma and Schembri. Cini argued that the evidence showed Fenech repeatedly acted as the link between the two men.

Fenech admitted forwarding information about the criminal investigation but rejected the suggestion that he was involved in other matters, such as property disputes.

The questioning later moved to Fenech's time in preventive custody. He denied having power or influence inside prison and rejected suggestions that he regularly met a businessman in the office of the prison's head of strategy.

Fenech said he had been summoned by an official after making a formal request and that he had simply crossed paths with another person while walking there. When Cini suggested he had entered the head of strategy's office without authorisation, Fenech insisted he had permission.

A question about whether he had an intimate relationship with an official was stopped by Judge Grima, who ordered Cini to move on.

The final part of the morning turned to drugs.

Cini questioned Fenech about his late brother Franco and a series of photographs and messages involving cocaine, ecstasy and drug paraphernalia.

Fenech acknowledged that he had spent years disposing of his brother's drugs. Messages from Franco included instructions to clean up an office, while another exchange showed photographs of what appeared to be drug sachets.

Fenech maintained that Franco was trying to help him and said he had himself spent years helping his brother before eventually needing help of his own.

The trial continues Tuesday.