Businessman was ‘preparing champagne’ to celebrate Caruana Galizia murder, court hears
Summary
A Maltese businessman, Yorgen Fenech, is on trial for paying hitmen to kill journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in 2017. A key witness testified that Fenech was eager for the murder to happen and once messaged that he was “preparing champagne” to celebrate.Key Facts
- Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed by a car bomb in October 2017 after exposing corruption among Maltese politicians.
- Yorgen Fenech, a businessman linked to a property empire, is accused of financing the murder.
- Melvin Theuma, a taxi driver and middleman, testified that Fenech asked him to organize the killing to protect his uncle and later to stop damaging revelations about himself.
- Theuma named the hitmen as George and Alfred Degiorgio and Vincent Muscat, who were paid €150,000 to carry out the attack.
- Fenech reportedly paused the murder plan during a snap election but resumed it after the then-prime minister Joseph Muscat won again.
- Theuma has been under witness protection after agreeing to testify in exchange for a pardon.
- Theuma suffered severe mental health struggles but was allowed to testify in court with special accommodations.
- Fenech’s texts and conversations played a key role in the prosecution’s case.
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