The trial of Yorgen Fenech, one of Malta's wealthiest businessmen, opened in Valletta on Wednesday, with prosecutors alleging he orchestrated the 2017 murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and paid €150,000 (£130,000) to three hitmen to carry out the killing.
Trial Begins After Years of Delays
Fenech, 44, heir to a property empire that includes the Hilton Malta hotel and casino, pleaded not guilty to two counts: complicity in voluntary homicide and criminal association. He is the last of seven men accused in the murder to face trial; five have been convicted and one secured a pardon for testimony.
The trial started after a five-hour jury selection process, amid concerns over media interest. One reserve juror fainted as temperatures reached 33°C. Under Maltese law, the jury will be segregated for the entire trial, living in a hotel without access to computers, phones, or smartwatches.
The Murder Plot
According to the indictment, the plot was hatched in April 2017. Fenech allegedly instructed his friend Melvin Theuma, a taxi driver and bookmaker, to find someone to kill Caruana Galizia, suggesting George Degiorgio, a gangland figure. Fenech claimed the journalist was about to publish a story about his uncle.
After Theuma contacted George Degiorgio and his brother Alfred, a price of €150,000 was agreed, with €30,000 paid upfront. The murder was put on hold during the June 2017 general election but resumed two weeks after the Labour government was re-elected. Fenech allegedly handed Theuma an envelope of cash.
The Bombing
On 16 October 2017, a bomb hidden in a children's shoebox under the driver's seat of Caruana Galizia's car detonated as she drove away from her home in Bidnija. The hitmen had broken into the vehicle the night before after weeks of surveillance. The bomb was detonated remotely via a text message sent by George Degiorgio from his boat in the grand harbour.
Her son Matthew Caruana Galizia discovered her remains in the burning wreckage. She was 53.
Arrests and Evidence
The Degiorgio brothers and accomplice Vincent Muscat were arrested on 4 December 2017 after a televised raid. Theuma was arrested in November 2019, clutching an ice-cream box containing USB drives with covert recordings of conversations with Fenech. Fenech's lawyers challenge the recordings' interpretation, calling Theuma's testimony "half truths" and "blatant lies."
The indictment alleges Fenech spent "tens of thousands" on the Degiorgios' legal expenses after their arrests.
Political Fallout
The case triggered a political and constitutional crisis in Malta, leading to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in December 2019. Vincent Muscat received a reduced 15-year sentence and a presidential pardon after pleading guilty and testifying. The Degiorgio brothers pleaded guilty in 2022, reducing their sentences from life to 40 years. Two bomb suppliers, Robert Agius and Jamie Vella, were sentenced to life in June 2025 without parole.
Theuma has been under witness protection since 2019. The prosecution seeks a life sentence for murder and 20–30 years for criminal association.
