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Maltese Tycoon Found Not Guilty of Involvement in Daphne Caruana Galizia Murder Image: Jon Borg
🇮🇪 Ireland /Crime & Justice

Maltese Tycoon Found Not Guilty of Involvement in Daphne Caruana Galizia Murder

From Irish Times · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources In the courts
  • A jury found businessman Yorgen Fenech not guilty of complicity in Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder and of association to commit a crime.
  • The verdict followed a two-month trial nearly nine years after the journalist died in a 2017 car bombing.
  • Prosecutors accused Fenech of paying €150,000 through an intermediary, while the defence argued that investigators failed to pursue allegations involving former prime ministerial chief of staff Keith Schembri.

Yorgen Fenech walked free from the courtroom after a jury decisively rejected both charges linked to the murder of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The nine-person jury, made up of six women and three men, voted eight to one to acquit him.

The verdict came nearly nine years after Caruana Galizia, 53, died in a car bombing in October 2017. Family members and journalists watched as the forewoman announced the decision, prompting gasps and cheers. Prosecutors are expected to appeal.

Buy justice

— Anthony VellaThe prosecutor said Fenech believed he could purchase favorable treatment because of his political contacts and influence.

Fenech, a wealthy businessman and property developer whose family owns two Hilton hotels and a stake in a Maltese power station, faced charges of complicity in voluntary homicide and association with the intention of committing a crime. Prosecutors said he paid €150,000 through intermediary Melvin Theuma to arrange the journalist’s killing and sought a life sentence.

You are being asked to decide whether a man who had extensive contacts in politics and among the heads of public entities had enough power to pay for Daphne to be killed.

— Anthony VellaVella summarized the prosecution’s case against Fenech.

Caruana Galizia had investigated Fenech and senior political figures. Her murder triggered Malta’s biggest postwar political scandal and made her case a rallying point for anti-corruption and press-freedom campaigns. The fallout forced Prime Minister Joseph Muscat to resign, along with two ministers and his chief of staff.

The two-month trial exposed Fenech’s extensive political contacts and allegations that the police investigation had been obstructed. Witnesses and Fenech said Muscat’s former chief of staff, Keith Schembri, repeatedly received sensitive information. Prosecutor Anthony Vella told jurors they had to decide whether Fenech had enough power to pay for Caruana Galizia’s murder, saying he believed he could “buy justice.”

All roads lead to Keith, and all bridges to Keith were burned.

— Charles MerciecaFenech’s defence lawyer argued that investigators had failed to pursue allegations involving Keith Schembri.

The defence argued that responsibility went higher and accused police of failing to investigate allegations against Schembri. Defence lawyer Charles Mercieca told the jury, “All roads lead to Keith, and all bridges to Keith were burned.” Fenech denied ordering the killing and said he had acted only as a messenger between Schembri and Theuma, who he claimed had blackmailed him. Schembri testified and denied wrongdoing.

I never ordered Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder, or anyone else’s. I had no role in her murder.

— Yorgen FenechFenech denied involvement in the journalist’s killing during his testimony.
About this summary

Originally published by Irish Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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