Yorgen Fenech, a businessman on trial for the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, has told a jury he was framed by police and had no involvement in the killing. This marks the first time Mr Fenech has spoken about the charges in court since his arrest seven years ago.
During four days of questioning, Mr Fenech, 44, accused Keith Schembri, the most senior adviser to Malta’s then prime minister, of giving the go-ahead for the murder. Mr Fenech claimed Mr Schembri, who was chief of staff to former prime minister Joseph Muscat, repeatedly leaked sensitive details to him, including advance warnings of raids and arrests.
Mr Fenech testified that the idea of killing Ms Caruana Galizia was raised during a barbecue at his family ranch, after she had written about Mr Schembri having a brain tumour before he had told his family. He claimed that Melvin Theuma, a self-confessed middleman, later told him there was an active plan to murder Ms Caruana Galizia and asked for €120,000. Mr Fenech stated he then told Mr Schembri, who replied, “go ahead, go ahead, go ahead.”
Police have informed the jury that Mr Schembri was never a suspect and he denied any involvement when called as a witness. The prosecution's case relies partly on the testimony of Mr Theuma, who alleges Mr Fenech gave him €150,000 to hire the three men convicted of planting the fatal car bomb. Mr Fenech is pleading not guilty to complicity in Ms Caruana Galizia’s murder.