Key facts
- Businessman Yorgen Fenech is on trial in Malta for allegedly ordering the 2017 murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
- Fenech faces charges of complicity in voluntary homicide and criminal association.
- Prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for the homicide charge.
- Five other men have been convicted in relation to the murder, and one received a pardon for testimony.
- A public inquiry concluded that a "favourable climate" for the murder was created by a collapse in the rule of law.
Yorgen Fenech, a businessman and heir to a significant property empire, is on trial in Malta for allegedly orchestrating the 2017 car-bomb murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The trial commenced on Wednesday, more than nine years after her death.
Fenech faces charges of complicity in voluntary homicide and criminal association. Prosecutors are seeking a life sentence for the murder charge and an additional 20 to 30 years for the association charge. He denies all accusations.
A jury was sworn in at the courts of justice in Valletta. Fenech is the last of seven men accused in connection with the killing to face trial. Of the others, five have been convicted, and one, Melvin Theuma, received a presidential pardon in exchange for his testimony.
Caruana Galizia, a prominent journalist known for her investigations into government and business figures, was killed shortly after a general election dominated by revelations from her work. Her car was destroyed by a powerful bomb placed under the driver's seat. Her son discovered her remains at the scene.
An investigation revealed that Theuma, a taxi driver, claims Fenech paid €150,000 for the assassination. Theuma provided USB drives containing covertly recorded conversations with Fenech as evidence, though Fenech's defense has questioned their veracity. Theuma has been living under a witness protection scheme since 2019.
The case triggered a political crisis in Malta, leading to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in December 2019. Fenech was arrested in November 2019 after his yacht was intercepted by the Maltese military as he attempted to leave the country.
Prior to Fenech's trial, Vincent Muscat, who planted the bomb, received a reduced sentence after pleading guilty and testifying against the Degiorgio brothers. The Degiorgio brothers also pleaded guilty and received a plea-bargained sentence of 40 years. Robert Agius and Jamie Vella, accused of supplying the bomb, were sentenced to life imprisonment in June 2025.
Fenech was granted bail in February 2025 under strict conditions, including a substantial financial deposit and personal guarantee, after repeated legal challenges regarding the fairness of his trial due to extensive publicity. His aunt provided significant shareholding as security.