The cross-examination of Yorgen Fenech will continue on Tuesday, following an intense sitting during which prosecutors compared his testimony with statements he gave investigators after 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.
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 Prosecutor Godwin Cini shifted the courtroom's focus toward the controversial offshore entity 17 Black, noting that while Daphne Caruana Galizia initially broke the story, Yorgen Fenech's ownership - along with financial documents linking the firm to offshore setups belonging to Keith Schembri and former minister Konrad Mizzi - only surfaced a full year after her assassination.
Cini pointed out that prior to public exposure, Fenech had no visible connection to 17 Black, and banks remained unaware of his ownership as late as February 2017. The prosecutor then presented jurors with a screenshot of the journalist's very first blog post regarding the company, published on February 22, 2017, just weeks before the announcement of the 2017 general election.
Drawing attention to the comment section of that historical post, Cini read Caruana Galizia's direct declaration linking Fenech to the power station. While Fenech acknowledged remembering the remark, Cini noted that the exposure was disastrous for his corporate due diligence. Fenech countered by explaining how he believed the connection was made, revealing that he had previously travelled abroad to cover medical treatment for Schembri using corporate funds, which led to a leak of both medical records and payment details.
9:39 Prosecutor Godwin Cini shifted his cross-examination of Yorgen Fenech toward the allegation that former chief of staff Keith Schembri once handed Fenech a Reebok sports bag stuffed with physical cash. According to Fenech, the money was intended to help cover escalating extortion demands tied to an anticipated bail application for the Degiorgio brothers.
Recounting the timeline, Fenech testified that the drop took place around May 2018. By that stage, he claimed he had already funneled 50,000 euros to Melvin Theuma, but the hitmen were pressing for an extra 60,000 euros. Fenech stated he turned to Schembri when his own liquid cash ran dry, and Schembri readily agreed to supply the funds, adding that the specific brand of the athletic bag stood out in his memory only because he had not seen a Reebok logo in years.
Cini pressed Fenech on the financial dynamics. He highlighted that Fenech had previously told investigators Theuma's continuous demands forced him to call Schembri for backup. Fenech confirmed that Schembri was fully in the loop because he had originally pledged the money himself.
When Cini demanded to know the exact sum passed along, Fenech estimated it was between 75,000 and 80,000 euros. He stated he secured the cash in his personal safe and subsequently delivered 60,000 euros of it directly to Theuma.
"And once again ended up in between Keith Schembri and Melvin Theuma," Cini remarked.
"Yes, I had accepted to end up in that position," Fenech admitted.
"In a murder."
"No, after it."
9:29 Prosecutor Cini shifted the questioning toward the vast sums Yorgen Fenech allegedly handed over to Melvin Theuma following the assassination, noting that Fenech previously admitted to paying him between 400,000 and 450,000 euros after the fact under blackmail, purportedly meant for the hitmen.
Cini challenged the logic of the massive payout: "So to get rid of the issue, you paid half a million euro?"
Fenech attributed his decisions to his heavy substance use at the time, prompting Cini to retort, "So now we're blaming the drugs?"
Stung, Fenech fired back, "You humiliated me yesterday by showing those videos of me cooking up drugs."
Cini pressed on, summarising the contradiction: "So you gave Melvin Theuma €450,000 and had nothing to do with the murder."
Fenech maintained that he only forked over the cash to put an end to the ongoing extortion, insisting he bore no responsibility for the killing itself. When the prosecutor asked why Fenech never sought help from high-ranking police figures like Silvio Valletta or Ray Aquilina, Fenech stated he had no contact with Valletta and did not know Aquilina back then.
Cini pointed out Fenech's extensive connections with ministers and corporate chairs, highlighting chat logs as proof of his influence, and asked why he failed to report the blackmail or warn the victim's family that a 30,000 euro contract had been placed on her life.
"No, I didn't," Fenech admitted. "If I could turn back time I'd do many things differently."
9:26 Cini shifted his focus to Yorgen Fenech's assertion that former chief of staff Keith Schembri handed him a written guide detailing what to say to authorities upon his arrest - a document never released publicly that allegedly pointed the finger at former minister Chris Cardona, who has consistently denied involvement and never faced charges, though hitmen previously mentioned him in connection with an earlier, aborted attempt on Daphne Caruana Galizia's life.
Cini pressed Fenech on why he even contemplated utilising a prepared narrative that implicated someone else. Fenech explained that he was simply playing along with Schembri's instructions, holding onto the desperate hope that Schembri wouldn't ultimately betray him.
Persisting with the line of inquiry, Cini remarked that Fenech had clearly weighed using a fabricated playbook to pin the crime on another individual. Fenech remained firm, declaring he had zero doubts regarding Cardona's complicity.
9:22 Prosecutor Godwin Cini resumed his line of questioning by revisiting the video footage from the police interrogations that jurors had reviewed at the close of Tuesday's session. In those clips, Fenech claimed he handed Melvin Theuma 50,000 euros in cash after learning a 30,000 euro deposit had already been disbursed for the assassination, explaining that panic drove him to shut down the operation while ensuring Theuma did not suffer a financial loss.
Challenging this narrative, Cini highlighted that Fenech had no legal or financial obligations toward Theuma and maintained he was completely unconnected to the homicide. The prosecutor questioned why Fenech would voluntarily disburse 50,000 euros just to extricate himself, adding that this meant Fenech essentially gave Theuma a 20,000 euro tip on top of the initial deposit. Fenech defended his actions by characterizing Theuma as someone who would not lift a finger without getting paid, asserting that handing over the cash was the only way he could halt the conspiracy temporarily.
Cini then turned to the covert audio recordings captured by Theuma, observing that Fenech never once brought up the 50,000 euro payout across those conversations, nor did he ever challenge Theuma about dragging him into such a dangerous situation. Fenech dismissed this by claiming the court had only been shown a partial selection of seven audio clips. When Cini asked if Fenech had prepared by reviewing the recordings prior to trial, the accused shrugged off the need, stating that real-life experiences do not require studying.
9:10 Judge Edwina Grima enters court.