Malta: Businessman Yorgen Fenech on trial for murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia
Businessman Yorgen Fenech, accused of ordering the 2017 car-bomb murder of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, went on trial more than nine years after her death.
Malta: Businessman Yorgen Fenech on trial for murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia
The trial of Yorgen Fenech, the businessman accused of ordering the assassination of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, began on Wednesday, over nine years after she was killed in a car-bomb attack that sent shockwaves across Europe.
Fenech, heir to a business empire worth hundreds of millions, is the last of seven men to face trial for involvement in the murder, according to the Guardian. Five others have already been convicted, while one received witness protection in exchange for testimony.
He faces two charges: complicity in the premeditated murder of Caruana Galizia, and participation in a criminal organization in Malta with intent to commit a crime. Fenech denies all accusations.
The prosecution has requested a life sentence for the murder charge, plus 20 to 30 years for the criminal organization charge. The trial opened Wednesday morning with the swearing-in of a jury panel at the courthouse in Valletta, the capital.
Caruana Galizia, aged 53, was killed on 17 October 2017 while driving from her home in the village of Bidnija. A powerful explosive device, hidden inside a children's shoebox, had been placed beneath the driver's seat. The perpetrators allegedly received 150,000 euros for the attack and had tracked her movements for weeks.
Her son, Matthew Caruana Galizia, was the first to reach the scene and found her remains inside the burning vehicle.
Three men accused of planting the bomb — brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio, along with their friend Vincent Muscat — were arrested during a televised raid on a warehouse at Marsa port.
The investigation initially stalled. However, journalistic exposés revealed that Muscat and a taxi driver who claimed to be a middleman had offered to cooperate with authorities. The taxi driver, who is expected to testify at Fenech's trial, maintains that the businessman ordered and paid for the murder.
Fenech was arrested in November 2019 while attempting to flee on his yacht. He was carrying a cooler box containing USB drives with recorded conversations with Fenech, which the prosecution is using as evidence. His defense claims "half-truths" and "false confessions."
The case triggered a deep political and constitutional crisis. Then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat announced that the taxi driver had been granted presidential pardon in exchange for information about the murder. Fenech later tried to escape with his son but was intercepted by the Maltese army.
Muscat resigned in December 2019. The taxi driver has lived under witness protection since 2019.
Fenech's defense has filed repeated objections, arguing that media publicity could prejudice his right to a fair trial. Due to delays, he was granted bail in February 2025 under strict conditions, including a large financial guarantee and property securities worth tens of millions of euros.
The trial had been kept secret until the last moment due to strict restrictions on press coverage.
Source: News 24/7
Source: Google News GR — Crime (el)