Maltese businessman's trial begins for 2017 murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia

The trial of Maltese businessman Yorgen Fenech, accused of orchestrating the 2017 assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, commenced Wednesday in Valletta. Fenech faces charges of complicity in murder and criminal association for the car bomb attack that killed the 53-year-old reporter near her home.

During the opening session, presided over by Judge Edwina Grima and attended by the victim's family, the prosecution presented its case. Prosecutors allege Fenech paid €150,000 to an intermediary to carry out the murder, reportedly pushing for its acceleration as he feared Caruana Galizia was close to publishing exclusive information about his business dealings.

Caruana Galizia was a prominent figure in Malta for her investigations into corruption and the Panama Papers. Fenech, a wealthy magnate and former head of the Tumas Group, had been out on bail since February 2025 after spending five years in pre-trial detention.

Fenech maintains his innocence and had attempted to delay the trial, arguing his right to a fair hearing was violated. This appeal was rejected by the Constitutional Court. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has also criticized Fenech for imposing severe restrictions on media coverage of the proceedings.

The hitmen who carried out the bombing, brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio, were sentenced to 40 years each in 2022 after confessing. Vince Muscat received a 15-year sentence after a plea deal. The alleged intermediary, taxi driver Melvin Theuma, received a presidential pardon in exchange for providing recordings and evidence implicating Fenech. Fenech's 2019 arrest, as he attempted to flee Malta on his yacht, sparked the country's most significant political crisis in recent history.

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