Key facts
- Businessman Yorgen Fenech was acquitted by a Maltese jury of ordering the 2017 murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
- The verdict has caused significant turmoil and outrage in Malta.
- Caruana Galizia's family stated that "justice denied" and the attorney general is considering an appeal.
- The trial exposed alleged attempts to sabotage the investigation and leak sensitive information.
- Fenech, the heir to a large fortune, is now free after nearly seven years in and out of custody.
- Caruana Galizia's reporting had targeted powerful figures and uncovered alleged corruption scandals.
A Maltese jury has acquitted businessman Yorgen Fenech of commissioning the 2017 murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, a decision that has plunged the country into turmoil and left the victim's family searching for answers. Fenech, 44, who faced a life sentence, is now free after nearly seven years in and out of custody. The verdict has been described as "justice denied" by Caruana Galizia's family, and the opposition leader has called for parliament to be recalled to strengthen press protection and anti-corruption measures.
Caruana Galizia, whose reporting targeted powerful figures including Fenech and his political connections, was killed by a car bomb in October 2017. Her death led to the resignation of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and several government members. Three hitmen accused of planting the bomb have already been sentenced. The attorney general is considering an appeal for a retrial, though the charges against Fenech were dismissed by an 8-1 majority.
The trial revealed significant challenges in the investigation, with witnesses testifying to attempts to block and sabotage the inquiry and leaks of sensitive information, allegedly from the prime minister's chief of staff. Melvin Theuma, a key prosecution witness who acted as a middleman, had previously attempted suicide.
Caruana Galizia's investigative work, particularly her blog "Running Commentary," had exposed alleged offshore companies set up by the energy minister and the prime minister's chief of staff to receive kickbacks. These allegations are the subject of a separate criminal case. At the time of her death, she was investigating a controversial €500m government contract for a gas power plant, a venture in which Fenech was a shareholder.