A survey commissioned by Raymond Fenech, the uncle of businessman Yorgen Fenech, asked respondents whether they believed the businessman ordered the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia and whether they considered themselves sufficiently impartial to decide his case, Momentum said Saturday.
The 22-question survey was conducted by pollster Vincent Marmara's company, Sagalytics, and published by Momentum on Saturday morning. The questionnaire gathered demographic details - such as age, locality, education, employment status, and income tax bracket - while also probing respondents' political beliefs, trust in the judicial system, and ability to disregard media coverage when evaluating evidence presented in court.
The publication of the survey follows earlier concerns that it could have been used to gauge potential jurors' attitudes toward Fenech, who was subsequently acquitted of involvement in Caruana Galizia's murder.
Drafted in July 2021, the questionnaire asked respondents if they had already formed an opinion about who ordered the murder and specifically whether they believed Fenech was responsible. Question nine asked whether politicians should be shielded from responsibility in connection with the case, while another question asked whether criminals who provide information about other cases should receive a presidential pardon for serious offenses.
Additionally, respondents were asked to rate, on a scale of one to five, how confident they were in their ability to ignore media coverage and reach a decision based solely on courtroom evidence. Further questions explored perceptions of the police investigation as well as opinions regarding both Fenech and Caruana Galizia.
According to Momentum, the contract signed between Raymond Fenech and Marmara included a provision allowing the identities of both the commissioner and the polling company to remain undisclosed to respondents. Under this agreement, callers were instructed to introduce themselves as representatives of "a survey company in Malta acting on behalf of an independent client."
Questioning the propriety of the arrangement, Momentum Leader Arnold Cassola asked whether it is ethical for serious polling companies to hide their identity behind such generic phrasing when contacting the public.
