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Yorgen Fenech claims in trial testimony that he was framed for journalist murder

Maltese businessman Yorgen Fenech testified in court, denying complicity in the 2017 assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and alleging former official Keith Schembri was the mastermind.

Updated Aug 26, 2026 · 04:23 UTC1 reports

The short version

  • Yorgen Fenech testified for the first time in his murder trial, alleging he was framed by police and played no role in the 2017 car-bomb assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
  • Fenech named Keith Schembri, former chief of staff to Malta's prime minister, as the true mastermind behind the killing, claiming Schembri sought revenge over news articles.
  • Police informed the jury that Schembri was never considered a suspect, and Schembri has consistently denied any involvement in the murder.
  • The prosecution maintains that Fenech paid €150,000 to hire the hitmen, relying on recordings and testimony from self-confessed middleman Melvin Theuma.

Key facts

  • Yorgen Fenech testified for the first time since his 2019 arrest, waiving his right under Maltese law to refrain from giving evidence at his trial.[The Guardian]
  • Fenech accused former chief of staff Keith Schembri of approving the plot and leaking sensitive investigation details, including raid dates and a confidential Europol report.[The Guardian]
  • Schembri denied involvement in court testimony, and police told the jury he was never treated as a suspect.[The Guardian]
  • Prosecution key witness Melvin Theuma alleges Fenech provided €150,000 to hire the three men convicted of carrying out the bombing.[The Guardian]
  • Fenech acknowledged paying €400,000 to Theuma, but claimed the money was extracted through blackmail to cover the legal fees of the convicted hitmen.[The Guardian]

What remains uncertain

  • The true identity of the primary instigator remains disputed between Fenech's allegations against Schembri and the prosecution's case identifying Fenech.[The Guardian]
  • The veracity of claims that senior officials leaked police operational details and confidential Europol documents to Fenech before arrests took place remains unverified in court.[The Guardian]

Sources