VALLETTA, 31 August (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – Madam Justice Edwina Grima has begun summing up the case for jurors in the trial of Maltese businessman Yorgen Fenech, accused of complicity in the 2017 car bomb assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Following 52 days of testimony and closing arguments, the nine-member jury is set to deliberate on Fenech’s fate this week.
The prosecution’s case
Caruana Galizia was killed near her home in Bidnija on 16 October 2017 after investigating political corruption and corporate interests.
The prosecution alleges Fenech commissioned and financed the assassination, paying €150,000 to middleman Melvin Theuma to hire the hitmen. Theuma, who received a presidential pardon in 2019 in exchange for evidence, testified that Fenech orchestrated the attack.
Prosecutor Anthony Vella urged jurors to return a guilty verdict, maintaining that the evidence firmly proves Fenech’s role. Fenech faces life imprisonment if convicted of complicity in wilful homicide, alongside a potential 20 to 30 years for criminal association.
Defence points to alternative motives
Fenech pleaded not guilty to both charges and testified in his own defence. Defence lawyer Charles Mercieca challenged Theuma’s credibility and argued that the investigation failed to pursue alternative suspects.
The defence contends that Keith Schembri, former chief of staff to former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, was the true mastermind behind the killing. Schembri has denied involvement and has not been charged.
Fenech claims he only acted as an intermediary between Schembri and Theuma.
Trial history and next steps
The case triggered widespread political fallout, leading to Joseph Muscat’s resignation in early 2020.
Five individuals have already been convicted for their involvement in the plot:
-
Vincent Muscat: Sentenced to 15 years in 2021 after admitting his role.
-
Alfred and George Degiorgio: Sentenced to 40 years each in 2022.
-
Robert Agius and Jamie Vella: Sentenced to life imprisonment in 2025 for supplying the bomb.
Once Judge Grima concludes her legal directions, the jury will retire to deliberate. Under Maltese law, a majority vote of at least 6–3 is required to reach a valid verdict.
