Yorgen Fenech, a businessman accused of commissioning the murder of Maltese investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, spent more than €400,000 (£343,000) on legal fees for the hitmen convicted of her killing, prosecutors have claimed.
Fenech, 44, heir to one of Malta’s largest fortunes, arrived at court on Thursday in an unmarked armoured police vehicle for the second day of his trial. He is under house arrest after posting a record bail estimated at €50m.
Prosecution details payment scheme
In a day-long opening statement, lead prosecutor Anthony Vella described how taxi driver Melvin Theuma transferred money to the bombers on Fenech’s behalf. The hitmen, brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio, allegedly received €150,000 to carry out the bombing, an additional €5,000 in expenses after the event, and a larger sum after their arrest. They are serving 40 years for voluntary homicide after pleading guilty.
Addressing the jury in Valletta, Vella said: “The accused also financed the legal defence of Alfred and George Degiorgio, through their brother, Mario. Theuma gave him over €400,000 and the police will provide testimony on that.”
Caruana Galizia’s legacy
Caruana Galizia, one of Malta’s best-known journalists, was killed in a car bombing in October 2017. Her investigations into high-level corruption made her a target. Vella urged the jury to consider her humanity: “Daphne Caruana Galizia was a very active journalist … They used to describe her as a witch, or ‘just a blogger’. You may agree with what she wrote or not. That is not what matters here. She was a citizen like us, killed because of her work. What matters is that she was a mother, a person, a daughter, a wife, a sister.”
Witness testimony
The jury will hear from a neighbour driving in the opposite direction when the car exploded. “He saw her vehicle explode a few metres away from him. He heard a loud scream. The violent and barbaric way they killed her.” The hitmen attached a petrol container to the bomb to ensure her death.
Fenech, on trial for complicity in voluntary homicide, denies the charges. The trial continues.
