Maltese tycoon acquitted of ordering journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder
A Maltese jury has acquitted businessman Yorgen Fenech of ordering the 2017 murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, sparking outrage among her family and the public.
Fenech walks free as jury rejects murder charge in Caruana Galizia case
Google News IE — Crime (en) reports that Yorgen Fenech, a 44-year-old Maltese businessman, was acquitted on Wednesday evening of ordering the murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was killed on 16 October 2017. As Fenech left the courthouse in Valletta, he was met by a furious crowd shouting "Murderer!", "Scum!" and "Mafia!". He pushed through, flanked by security guards.
Eight of the nine jurors rejected the prosecution's case that Fenech had commissioned the killing. The verdict came nearly nine years after Caruana Galizia, 53, died when a bomb placed under the driver's seat of her car was detonated remotely. The three men who procured and planted the bomb have already been convicted. The person who contracted them remains legally unidentified.
'Obscene' verdict, says family
Her son, Matthew Caruana Galizia, described the outcome as a "terrible decision by the jurors that our country may never recover from." In a subsequent Facebook post, he called the verdict "obscene," adding: "Their decision flies in the face of all evidence, of all logic, of the truth."
The prosecution had built its case largely on the testimony of Melvin Theuma, who confessed to acting as middleman and stated that Fenech had contracted him to organise the murder. Theuma received a pardon in exchange for his cooperation. The defence, however, mounted a sustained challenge to his credibility, pointing to contradictions in his testimony and false statements he had previously made.
Fenech's lawyers also argued that evidence pointing to Keith Schembri — chief of staff to then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat — had not been properly followed up. Schembri has denied any involvement, and investigators did not charge him as a suspect.
The prosecution's theory of motive centred on Caruana Galizia's reporting on Fenech's company 17 Black and the energy consortium ElectroGas, which she was investigating on suspicion of corruption. Prosecutors argued this gave Fenech reason to silence her. They acknowledged, however, that she had not been close to publishing material that posed an immediate threat to him.
A case that toppled a government
Fenech's arrest in November 2019 was dramatic. His luxury yacht, Gio, had just left harbour when it was intercepted by a Maltese military patrol boat. He was taken on board and later interrogated by police. The arrest, combined with suspicions of government involvement, triggered nationwide protests. Muscat stepped down as prime minister in January 2020 amid accusations that he had shielded political allies.
Fenech spent more than five years in detention before being released on bail under strict conditions in early 2025. His trial began only this summer, and the final verdict — delivered swiftly and decisively — has left many in Malta shaken.
There is no indication to date that Fenech did not receive a fair trial, or that the process was manipulated. Under Maltese law, guilt must be proved beyond reasonable doubt for a conviction to stand.
Institutional failures still unaddressed
Caruana Galizia's family has shifted focus to the institutional failures they believe made the murder possible. An official inquiry established in 2021 that an "atmosphere of impunity" in Malta created conditions conducive to the killing. They say those conditions have not been sufficiently addressed, and that promised reforms remain incomplete.
Malta has introduced a series of changes since then, but critics say they do not go far enough — particularly on press freedom. The 2021 inquiry committee recommended stronger protections for journalists against political and economic pressure, as well as institutional recognition of their role. Comprehensive media reform has yet to materialise. The government brought a relevant bill before parliament in March 2026, but early elections in May meant the legislation was never passed.
The European Commission's latest Rule of Law Report certifies only limited progress by Malta. It acknowledges some specific protection measures for journalists, but states that core recommendations arising from the Caruana Galizia murder investigation remain unfulfilled. The Maltese government disputes this characterisation, pointing to judiciary reforms, anti-corruption measures, better protection of journalistic sources, and additional safeguards for media professionals — the areas the Commission itself acknowledged as progress.
Slow justice, open questions
The pace of the Maltese justice system has also come under scrutiny. According to a report by the Daphne Caruana Galizia Foundation, 46% of homicide cases brought to trial between 2010 and 2020 had still not been concluded by mid-2025. The foundation describes this as a structural problem, warning that prolonged proceedings undermine the prospects of effective prosecution.
What happens next remains undecided. Judge Edwina Grima has ordered that all evidence presented at trial be forwarded to the chief of police, who will determine whether criminal proceedings should be initiated against any other individuals. On Thursday, former Prime Minister Muscat stated that, according to public prosecutors, further investigations are ongoing.
The Institute of Maltese Journalists (IGM) has called on authorities to pursue every line of inquiry that emerged during the trial — including, explicitly, those leading to former senior politicians. The acquittal must be respected as a constitutional outcome, the IGM said, but it does not close the case.
Source: Google News IE — Crime (en)