Malta court acquits businessman Yorgen Fenech in Daphne Caruana Galizia murder case
Quick Look
- A Maltese court acquitted businessman Yorgen Fenech of masterminding the 2017 murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, clearing him of complicity to murder and criminal association charges by an 8-1 jury verdict after eight hours of deliberation.
- Caruana Galizia’s family condemned institutional failures, while Fenech’s family celebrated.
- The killing had triggered a political crisis in Malta, leading to the resignation of former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat.
AI-generated summary
Why It Matters
Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed in a car bomb attack in October 2017 after investigating corruption linked to Malta’s political and business elites. Her murder triggered mass protests and led to the resignation of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in 2020. Yorgen Fenech, a businessman with ties to the energy sector, was arrested in 2019 and charged with complicity in the murder.
A court in Malta has acquitted businessman Yorgen Fenech of masterminding the murder of prominent anticorruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Fenech, 44, was acquitted on Wednesday at the end of a jury trial. He had been tried on charges of complicity to murder and for the lesser charge of criminal association to commit murder.
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If found guilty, Fenech could have faced life in prison.
Caruana Galizia’s family were seen weeping in the packed courtroom in Valletta after the businessman was cleared of both counts by an 8-1 margin following eight hours of deliberation by the jury.
“Nine years after Daphne’s brutal assassination, the institutional failures that enabled her murder remain unaddressed and unreformed,” the slain reporter’s family said in a statement.
“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’s family members were seen celebrating the jury’s decision.
The killing of Caruana Galizia in October 2017 shocked Europe’s journalist community and set off a political firestorm in Malta, focusing international attention on its police and judiciary.
Dubbed a “one-woman WikiLeaks”, Caruana Galizia had exposed corruption at the highest level in the Mediterranean island country, shining a spotlight on links between Malta’s business and political elites. She was 53 when she was killed.
Prosecutors argued that Fenech had wanted Caruana Galizia killed because she was about to reveal information about him.
Fenech has denied the accusations. His defence instead pointed fingers at his one-time friend Keith Schembri, the former chief of staff of then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and a target of Caruana Galizia’s blogs.
Muscat, who was never linked to the murder, stepped down in January 2020 due to the political fallout from the assassination.
Police told the court that Schembri had never been a suspect. He has denied any role in the murder.
What to Watch
AI outlook — possibilities, not facts
The prosecution may appeal the acquittal or pursue charges against other suspects
Possible · Within months
Calls for judicial and police reform in Malta will intensify
Likely · Within weeks
Open Questions
- Who actually carried out the bombing?
- What reforms will be implemented to protect journalists?
- Will there be further investigations into others implicated?
- How will this verdict affect press freedom in Malta?
