Maltese tycoon found not guilty of involvement in Daphne Caruana Galizia murder
Maltese Businessman Cleared in Landmark Press-Freedom Murder Trial
Wanderstayfinder.com – A jury in Malta has returned a not-guilty verdict for Yorgen Fenech, a prominent property developer and one of the island nation's wealthiest figures, in the case surrounding the 2017 car-bomb assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The decision, handed down after nearly nine years since the killing, was delivered by a panel of six women and three men who voted eight to one to dismiss both charges against the 44-year-old defendant.
The two counts carried by the prosecution were complicity in the voluntary homicide of Caruana Galizia and association with the intention to commit a crime. Had Fenech been convicted on either charge, he would have faced imprisonment for life. Instead, Judge Edwina Grima ordered his immediate release from custody the moment the forewoman read out the verdict at 7.30 pm on a Wednesday evening. Fenech walked out through the courthouse's main entrance, declining to address reporters who had gathered outside.
Family and Colleagues React with Shock
The gallery erupted in a mixture of gasps and cheers from Fenech's supporters, while members of the victim's family sat in stunned silence, some openly weeping. Corinne Vella, Caruana Galizia's sister, spoke to reporters shortly after the announcement:
"Everybody is much more at risk now, because this signals you can kill journalists with impunity. We knew an acquittal was a huge possibility. But it's like when someone dies, it still shocks you."
The journalist's eldest son took to Facebook to voice the family's anguish, calling the outcome a "terrible decision by the jurors that our country may never recover from. They had a great responsibility to deliver justice. And washed their hands of it."
Political Fallout and Calls for Accountability
The verdict landed at a politically charged moment. Alex Borg, leader of the opposition Nationalist Party, moved to convene parliament urgently — despite the legislature being in recess — so that members could debate the outcome. Addressing a crowd of demonstrators who had gathered outside the parliamentary building that evening, Borg framed the decision as a stain on the incumbent Labour government:
"We believe journalism is the backbone of a democracy."
Borg insisted the press must operate "independently and without undue pressure," and called the verdict a "black spot" on the ruling party's record. The government, for its part, issued a brief statement acknowledging the outcome while urging restraint in public commentary during what it described as a delicate period. It reaffirmed its commitment to seeing justice delivered through the country's institutions.
Background: A Killing That Shook a Small Island
Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed in October 2017 when a timer-activated bomb exploded beneath her car as she drove home. Her reporting had focused relentlessly on Fenech and on senior political figures, making her a target of sustained hostility. The assassination detonated the most significant political crisis in Malta's postwar history. Within months, then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat — heading the EU's smallest member state by population — was compelled to resign, taking with him two cabinet ministers and his chief of staff. Although Muscat departed office, his Labour Party retained power and continues to govern.
Caruana Galizia's work had made her a symbol of independent journalism in Europe. Her murder became a rallying point for anti-corruption activists and press-freedom advocates across the continent, and the subsequent trial was watched as a test of whether a small island state could hold powerful figures accountable for silencing a critic.
What the Trial Revealed
The two-month proceeding exposed the breadth of Fenech's political and institutional connections. Prosecutors alleged that he had channelled €150,000 (approximately £129,000) through a middleman, Melvin Theuma — a taxi driver — to arrange the killing. Key witnesses and Fenech himself testified that the former prime minister's chief of staff had repeatedly leaked sensitive investigative information to the businessman during the police inquiry.
Prosecutor Anthony Vella, in his closing address, framed the central question for the jury plainly:
"You are being asked to decide whether a man who had extensive contacts in politics and among the heads of public entities had enough power to pay for Daphne to be killed."
The defence, led by lawyer Charles Mercieca, pushed the chain of command upward, suggesting that the true instigator was Keith Schembri, Muscat's former chief of staff. Mercieca argued that police had failed to investigate Schembri's alleged role with adequate rigour:
"All roads lead to Keith, and all bridges to Keith were burned."
Fenech took the stand himself and told the jury:
"I never ordered Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder, or anyone else's. I had no role in her murder."
He described his own function as that of a mere messenger between Schembri and Theuma, and alleged that the taxi driver had subsequently blackmailed him.
What Comes Next
The prosecution is expected to lodge an appeal against the acquittal, meaning the case may return to the courts for a further round of proceedings. For Malta's press-freedom community, the verdict — and any subsequent appellate outcome — will be read as a signal about how far the island's institutions will go in protecting journalists who investigate power. The family of Daphne Caruana Galizia, meanwhile, faces the prospect of waiting years longer for what they describe as justice, while the broader question of who ultimately ordered the killing remains, for now, officially unanswered.
Related Reading
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Maltese tycoon found not guilty of involvement?Maltese tycoon found not guilty of involvement is the main topic of this guide. The article explains the context, practical details, and next steps readers should understand.
Why does Maltese tycoon found not guilty of involvement matter?Maltese tycoon found not guilty of involvement matters because readers are looking for a useful answer, not just a short summary. Good content should match search intent and help them decide what to do next.