World News
Maltese jury acquits businessman Yorgen Fenech of ordering Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder
The verdict concludes the country's longest-running murder trial, leaving the identity of the mastermind behind the 2017 assassination unresolved.
The short version
- A jury in Valletta acquitted prominent businessman Yorgen Fenech by an 8-1 majority on charges of ordering the 2017 car-bomb assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
- Three convicted hitmen have already been sentenced for carrying out the bombing, but the person who orchestrated the contract killing remains legally unresolved.
- Caruana Galizia's family condemned the outcome, while the attorney general is evaluating whether to appeal for a retrial amid opposition demands to strengthen anti-corruption measures.
Key facts
- Yorgen Fenech was acquitted of all charges related to ordering the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia following an 8-1 jury decision in Valletta, Malta.[The Guardian]
- Caruana Galizia was killed on October 16, 2017, by a car bomb placed beneath the driver's seat outside her home.[The Guardian]
- Two hitmen are serving life sentences after pleading guilty, and a third received a 15-year sentence in exchange for evidence against his accomplices.[The Guardian]
- Trial testimony and recordings revealed sensitive homicide investigation details were repeatedly leaked, with evidence pointing to former prime ministerial chief of staff Keith Schembri.[The Guardian]
- Fenech admitted during proceedings to paying €400,000 for the hitmen's legal expenses and relaying leaked police updates to middleman Melvin Theuma, though he maintained he never ordered the assassination.[The Guardian]
What remains uncertain
- It remains unknown whether Malta's attorney general will formally file an appeal for a retrial following the acquittal.[The Guardian]
- The true identity of the mastermind who commissioned and funded the assassination remains legally unestablished.[The Guardian]