Fenech trial for Caruana Galizia murder: paid €150,000 to hitmen
The trial of businessman Yorgen Fenech for the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia began in Valletta.
Trial for Caruana Galizia murder: final defendant in dock
The trial of 44-year-old businessman Yorgen Fenech for the murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia began on Wednesday morning at the courts in Valletta. As reported by naftemporiki.gr citing the Guardian, Fenech is the last of seven defendants to stand trial.
Fenech, heir to a real estate empire that includes the Hilton Malta hotel and casino, faces two charges: complicity in intentional homicide and participation in a criminal organisation. He denies the charges.
The murder
Caruana Galizia was murdered on 16 October 2017, shortly before 15:00. Her car veered off course and ended up in a field. According to the indictment read out in court, a bomb placed inside a shoebox had been positioned under her seat. The perpetrators had broken into her vehicle the previous evening, and had been monitoring her for weeks.
The journalist was known for her investigative work on corruption cases involving high-ranking officials in Malta and had participated, among other things, in the investigation into the Panama Papers. Shortly before her murder, she was investigating murky relationships between business and political circles in the country.
The murder plan
According to the indictment, the plan was devised in April 2017. Fenech called his friend Melvin Theuma, a taxi driver who served Hilton guests, and asked him to find someone to kill the journalist. He even suggested a possible hitman: George Degiorgio, a member of a criminal gang.
Fenech himself, according to the prosecutor's claim, stated that he wanted Galizia eliminated because she was about to publish an article about his uncle.
Theuma made contact with George Degiorgio and his brother Alfred. A fee of €150,000 was agreed, with an advance of €30,000. Implementation of the plan was suspended due to the general elections on 3 June 2017. Two weeks after the Labour government returned to power, Fenech, according to the prosecutor, gave the order to proceed with the operation and personally handed Theuma an envelope containing cash.
As weeks passed, Fenech continued to push for the plan's implementation, now stating that Galizia was preparing to publish an article about him.
Trial commences with delays
The case experienced many delays before reaching trial. Fenech was released on bail in February after the legal time limit for pre-trial detention had expired. Jury selection required five hours of deliberations, amid concerns about public interest surrounding the case.
In 2013, Fenech had secured a multi-million-euro contract with the Maltese government for the construction of a natural gas power generation plant.
Source: Google News GR — Crime (el)