Court clears Maltese tycoon over murdering renowned journalist

**Maltese Businessman Acquitted in Daphne Caruana Galizia Murder Case**

Valletta, Malta – A Maltese court on Wednesday acquitted businessman Yorgen Fenech of charges relating to the 2017 murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. After a two‑month trial, a jury voted 8‑1 to clear Fenech of both complicity to murder and the lesser charge of criminal association to commit murder. The deliberations lasted eight hours.

Fenech, 44, had been arrested in 2019 and faced the possibility of life imprisonment had he been found guilty. The verdict was delivered in a packed courtroom, where members of the Fenech family expressed relief while relatives of Caruana Galizia were visibly upset.

The murder of Caruana Galizia in October 2017, which shocked the international community, led to a series of investigations and prosecutions. Three men have already been convicted for carrying out the killing, and two others have been sentenced for supplying the bomb used in the attack.

During the trial, the prosecution presented evidence that Fenech had allegedly commissioned the killing because Caruana Galizia was preparing to publish information about him. Fenech denied involvement and, through his defence team, suggested that former chief of staff Keith Schembri – a former close associate of Fenech and a frequent target of Caruana Galizia’s reporting – might have been implicated. Schembri, who was never formally named a suspect, has also denied any role in the murder.

Giannella de Marco, counsel for Fenech, said the verdict reflected the jury’s assessment that the prosecution’s key witness, who had turned state’s evidence, was not credible. “These people saw through who was lying,” de Marco told reporters.

In a statement released after the verdict, Caruana Galizia’s family said, “Nine years after Daphne’s brutal assassination, the institutional failures that enabled her murder remain unaddressed and unreformed. Lasting justice means no person should ever face the same risks again. Our country failed to protect Daphne’s life. It owes it to her to prevent other lives being lost.”

Fenech left the courtroom under police escort amid a hostile crowd. No comment was offered by the businessman at the time.

The case remains a focal point for ongoing discussions about press freedom, judicial independence, and anti‑corruption reforms in Malta. Police and prosecutors have indicated that the investigation into the murder continues, though no further suspects have been publicly identified.

Article and image source: cyprus-mail.com