Day 7: Arnaud Cross-Examination Continues In Yorgen Fenech Trial

10.10am – Jurors seek documents as prosecution turns to laptop issue

The defence concludes its questioning of Arnaud, but the judge notes that jurors have indicated they have questions for the witness and have asked for copies of some exhibited documents.

Prosecutors then begin re-examining Arnaud, asking first about leaks from the murder investigation. The judge stops Arnaud from naming anyone, noting that the alleged leaks are subject to separate ongoing proceedings.

The prosecution then asks about one of Melvin Theuma’s recordings. Arnaud says Fenech told Theuma that Daphne Caruana Galizia’s family had not handed over her laptop and had taken it to Germany.

The laptop has been a recurring defence theme in questioning about the scope and quality of the investigation, while the prosecution has relied heavily on Theuma’s recordings to show what Fenech allegedly knew and discussed after the murder.

The court breaks briefly and is due to resume at 11am.

9.45am – Defence presses Arnaud on Schembri links

The defence turns back to Keith Schembri, with Arnaud confirming that the former OPM chief of staff never told police he knew Melvin Theuma personally — even when Theuma’s presidential pardon was being discussed.

Arnaud says Theuma also did not initially tell police he knew Schembri.

De Marco also asks whether Arnaud felt any deference towards Schembri. Arnaud says he communicated with him as the prime minister’s chief of staff, but insists he treated people fairly as an investigator.

The defence reads out a message exchange between Schembri and Johann Cremona, a business associate of Yorgen Fenech, in which Schembri appears to comment on Arnaud wanting people to testify.

9.35am – Defence revisits Cardona and alleged 2015 murder plot

De Marco turns to former minister Chris Cardona and two of his associates, asking whether police seized their phones after questioning them.

Arnaud says they were interrogated but their phones were not taken.

The defence also raises claims by two of the convicted hitmen about an alleged 2015 plot to kill Daphne Caruana Galizia. Arnaud says police did not re-interrogate them after that testimony because it was “riddled with inaccuracies”.

He tells the court that every lead was investigated, but that the evidence does not point to anyone other than those charged in connection with the case.

The defence has repeatedly sought to raise alternative-suspect lines, including allegations involving Cardona, former police officer-turned-lawyer David Gatt and a separate alleged 2015 plot. The prosecution case is that the 2017 murder was commissioned through Melvin Theuma for €150,000.

9:15 – Court resumes

The sitting resumes with Assistant Police Commissioner Keith Arnaud in the witness stand, as defence lawyer Giannella De Marco continues her cross-examination.

The first questions focus on former police commissioner Lawrence Cutajar and suspected leaks from the murder investigation. Arnaud says police did not seize Cutajar’s phone, adding that he and Inspector Kurt Zahra had reported their concerns to superiors but did not investigate the leaks themselves for transparency reasons.

Cutajar has previously come under scrutiny over a meeting with a man linked to murder middleman Melvin Theuma before Theuma’s arrest.

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the jury trial of Yorgen Fenech over the assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

We’re at the law courts in Valletta, where proceedings are due to resume shortly before Madam Justice Edwina Grima as the trial enters its seventh day.

Refresh for live updates from court

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Yannick Pace

Yannick joined Lovin Malta in March 2021 having started out in journalism in 2016. He is passionate about politics and the way our society is governed, and anything to do with numbers and graphs.