Yorgen Fenech will return to the witness stand on Monday morning as prosecutors continue their cross-examination of the businessman accused of complicity in the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

The trial resumes after a lengthly Saturday sitting, during which prosecutor Godwin Cini began cross-examining Fenech following the conclusion of his testimony under questioning by his defence lawyers.

Saturday's sitting culminated in Fenech directly naming former prime minister Joseph Muscat's chief of staff Keith Schembri as the alleged mastermind behind Caruana Galizia's assassination.

But the day also saw prosecutors scrutinise Fenech's relationships with senior public officials, his communications with police officers and political figures, his ownership of 17 Black, payments made to self-confessed middleman Melvin Theuma, and messages in which he warned Theuma about developments in the murder investigation.

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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10:39 Cini highlighted an intercepted call showing Keith Schembri immediately contacting (secretary) Charlene after receiving the screenshot, suggesting Fenech acted as a gateway whenever Melvin Theuma needed access to the Office of the Prime Minister at Castille. Fenech denied that Theuma required access through him, explaining that he only forwarded the screenshot because he could not comprehend what Theuma was actually asking for.

When Cini pointed out that Schembri had replied with "No clue," Fenech stated he could not recall the exact response, acknowledging only that he found himself trapped in numerous situations between the two men and admitting it was a mistake on his part.

Cini pressed further, arguing that the evidence proved Fenech operated as the central intermediary between Theuma and Schembri, ticking off a series of examples. Fenech readily conceded to passing along information about the criminal investigation. However, when Cini brought up minor property disputes - such as a problem regarding a wall in a field and issues concerning Theuma's farmhouse - Fenech scoffed at the notion.

10:33 Cini presented a chat log between Yorgen Fenech and Keith Schembri that centred on court proceedings involving 17 Black.

Cini displayed a photograph of an application filed before Judge Francesco Depasquale by former Nationalist Party leader Simon Busuttil and MEP David Casa, alongside a decree by Magistrate Ian Farrugia that revoked a request for an inquiry into 17 Black. Cini pointed out that Schembri had sent this photograph to Fenech early in the morning - four hours before it was officially signed by the magistrate and handed over to the legal parties.

"Would I be correct in saying this came from inside the court?" Cini asked.

"I don't know. Ask Keith. As you can see, he sent it to me," Fenech replied.

Cini then shifted focus to a different set of messages between Fenech and Melvin Theuma regarding a request for a meeting over a building permit, noting that Fenech had forwarded a screenshot of those conversations to Schembri as well.

Explaining why he shared the exchange, Fenech stated, "At the time, I was caught between a rock and a hard place, and I used to send things to Keith Schembri."

10:13 Cini turned back to the image containing the list of names and asked Yorgen Fenech if the document was actually a page from a top-secret Europol report where the individuals were designated as high-value targets. Fenech replied that he had no idea.

The questioning then shifted to Fenech's perspective on leaked confidential information. Cini noted that Fenech had previously claimed to be the victim of a leak at Electrogas, an incident that prompted him to file a formal criminal complaint.

"We were advised to file a complaint because third-party information had been leaked and we had a legal obligation to protect it," Fenech explained.

When Cini asked if he had been genuinely unhappy about the leak, Fenech downplayed the emotional impact, stating he did not think he lost any sleep over it. Cini countered by pointing out that corporate emails revealed widespread panic when internal documents ended up in the hands of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Fenech rejected the characterization of panic, clarifying that while he was displeased because a director expects to work with trusted people and has a duty to safeguard company data, it was simply a matter of business obligation rather than personal devastation.

10:09 Cini then presented an image discovered on Yorgen Fenech's phone that displayed a list of names, including Robert and Adrian Agius (known as Ta' Maksar), Jamie Vella, Ramon Gusman, Alfred and George Degiorgio, Vince Muscat, Aaron Cassar, Kevin Falzon, and David Gatt, with specific descriptions of alleged criminal roles written next to each individual.

When Cini asked if the document belonged on his device, Fenech replied that it could have been, though he claimed not to remember. Asked how a report concerning people linked to serious crimes ended up in his possession without him studying the chats, Fenech pointed directly to former chief of staff Keith Schembri, stating with absolute certainty that Schembri was the one who sent it to him.

Cini pressed further regarding Fenech's coordination with Melvin Theuma, asking if Fenech had instructed Theuma to warn the Degiorgio brothers that the police had discovered evidence concerning the bomb and were preparing to make arrests. Fenech confirmed that he did pass along that warning, explaining that he was simply following instructions given to him by Keith Schembri.

Addressing the financial aspect of the arrangement, Cini noted that Fenech had previously admitted in a police statement to handing over 450,000 euros because Theuma claimed Mario Degiorgio needed funds for legal and other expenses. Fenech confirmed this, adding that the total sum included 60,000 euros specifically intended for bail, noting that he had questioned Theuma at the time about why money for bail was being requested beforehand rather than after it was granted.

10:04 Prosecutor Cini asked for a voice recording from a group chat to be played in the courtroom, though court expert Martin Bajada noted that the audio file did not actually appear within the records of the "No Valletta No Party" chat.

In the playback, Fenech's voice can be heard saying: "Today's thought of the day is for Simon Busuttil... You can protest as much as you like, you can go to court 27 times, but the inquiry cannot be reopened."

Cini asked Fenech to confirm if he was referring to an inquiry connected to 17 Black.

Fenech downplayed the remark, explaining that the chat was used strictly for sharing jokes and that he could not remember if it pertained to 17 Black. He maintained that he was simply mocking Simon Busuttil's repeated trips to court with files, insisting he sent the message in a light-hearted spirit.

When Cini pressed further and asked if Fenech regularly joked about 17 Black or grew angry whenever the company was brought up, Fenech replied, "I think you've realised that I used to joke about it."

9:50 Cini then shifted the questioning to Yorgen Fenech's relationship with former minister Dr Edward Zammit Lewis. Fenech described him as a good friend who was close even before Zammit Lewis became the tourism minister. When asked if Zammit Lewis regularly sent people to him for help, Fenech acknowledged that it could have happened because his business employed a large number of people.

Cini pressed further, asking if Fenech used those favours to abuse his position and make people feel obliged to him, which Fenech firmly denied. Although Fenech acknowledged admitting on the previous Saturday that he had abused his position with certain individuals, he maintained that he asked for nothing in return in the specific message under discussion, adding that he helped anyone he could, including Dr Azzopardi on occasion.

The prosecution then drew attention to a WhatsApp group chat titled "No Valletta No Party." Fenech confirmed that the chat included himself, Keith Schembri, Silvio Valletta, Joseph Cuschieri, an administrator saved under the alias "Fraud," and "Kenazz," whom Fenech identified as Kenneth Azzopardi's secretary.

9:44 Cini asked whether Rosianne Cutajar sent a message saying "tkixxifli naqra" to ask for help finding out about a government reshuffle, suggesting she reached out due to his network and influence. Fenech replied that she likely asked because she felt comfortable with him, acknowledging it was possible she wanted him to find out from then Prime Minister Joseph Muscat or other political figures, though he maintained he never actually approached Muscat about it. 

9:39 Prosecutor Godwin Cini resumed his cross-examination of Yorgen Fenech by pivoting to a chat log involving Rosianne Cutajar, then parliamentary secretary and now minister, whose contact was saved on Fenech's device as "Rosianne Mayor."

After taking a sip of water and requesting a tablet device so he could read along with the presented records, Fenech answered Cini's questions regarding their relationship.

When asked to confirm if Rosianne Cutajar was a Member of Parliament and whether Fenech had occasionally bought her gifts, Fenech replied in the affirmative. He explained that he originally got to know her because she had served as the mayor of Qormi, noting that his father's family has roots in the same locality.

9:30 Prosecutor Anthony Vella strongly rejected the defence objections, stating that the cross-examination fully aligned with the court's August 22 decision. Vella accused the defence of being unwilling to accept the decree and continuously pushing the issue in hopes of forcing the judge to change her ruling, calling their persistence completely unacceptable.

Judge Edwina Grima reaffirmed her August 22 decision, clarifying that while cross-examination must focus on matters raised during Fenech's examination, the prosecution is permitted to challenge the witness's credibility and ask questions allowed under relevant provisions of the law. However, the judge firmly cautioned prosecutors against bringing up the personal lives of individuals who are not party to the proceedings. 

9:27 Defence lawyer Charles Mercieca formally raised a complaint regarding the prosecution's cross-examination of Yorgen Fenech. Referring to the court's August 22 order instructing prosecutors to strictly follow the law, Mercieca argued that the Saturday session demonstrated a failure to respect those directives.

He pointed out that prosecutors introduced chat logs and content that had never been raised during the examination by Fenech's own defence team. Furthermore, Mercieca contended that several questions were designed specifically to paint Fenech's character in a negative light by probing into matters unrelated to the charges being tried in the current case.

Arguing that this approach severely prejudices the defence, Mercieca insisted that the remainder of the cross-examination must strictly adhere to the court's previous orders and legal parameters.

9:22 The prosecution urgently raised a major security concern, informing the court that former police commissioner Lawrence Cutajar had been spotted swimming in the pool of the hotel where the sequestered jurors were being kept, an incident that had already made its way into the news.

Judge Edwina Grima said that the court had already taken immediate steps to handle the situation, though she expressed deep concern over how the leak ended up in the media.

The prosecution said the defence knew the exact location where the jurors were lodged.

"Rest assured that the court has taken action," the judge reassured the parties.

Defence lawyer Charles Mercieca explained that they had received the photograph from individuals who happened to be at the hotel.

That explanation drew an immediate rebuke from the prosecution, who argued it was deeply concerning that hotel patrons were apparently passing photos and confidential information directly to the defence team regarding the secret lodgings of the jury.

Pressing for answers, Judge Grima turned directly to Mercieca and demanded to know the identity of the sender, asking how that person even knew jurors were being kept at the hotel.

Mercieca declined to name the source, stating only that the defence had been alarmed upon seeing the photograph and had promptly notified the court registrar. The prosecution maintained that someone inside the hotel was actively leaking information to the defence.