Jury Hears Fenech Claimed Keith Schembri Wanted To ‘Get Rid Of’ Daphne Caruana Galizia

The fourth day of Yorgen Fenech’s trial continued this afternoon with lead investigator Keith Arnaud recounting parts of the businessman’s police statement, including claims involving former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri.

According to Arnaud, Fenech told police that Schembri had once told him he wanted to “get rid of” Daphne Caruana Galizia.

The investigator said Fenech claimed that, after returning from a trip abroad, he met Melvin Theuma at a ranch in Żebbuġ, where Theuma informed him there was already a plan to kill the journalist, though he did not say who had conceived it.

Arnaud told the jury that Fenech claimed he replied he would “touch base” on the matter later.

The court also heard testimony about the so-called Chris Cardona “frame-up” letter, a document recovered during the investigation that allegedly attempted to pin the murder on the former economy minister.

Arnaud said investigators looked into claims that Alfred Degiorgio had met Cardona at Ferdinand’s Bar in Siġġiewi and also searched for CCTV footage. However, by the time inquiries were carried out, any recordings had already been overwritten.

Despite the investigation, Arnaud told the court that police found “not a single shred of proof” that Cardona and Alfred Degiorgio had ever met before the arrests.

The trial is set to continue before the jury in Valletta.

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Gabriel Falzon

Gabriel Falzon is a social media executive at Lovin Malta, with a keen interest in digital media, local businesses, and the natural world. Outside of work, you’ll often find him baking up a storm, diving into video games, or exploring the endless corners of YouTube.