Residents Recall Suspicious Cars Near Bidnija Before Daphne Caruana Galizia’s Murder

Residents living near Bidnija have told jurors they repeatedly noticed suspicious vehicles parked in the area in the weeks leading up to Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination but said they did not report them because they did not initially consider them suspicious.

Testifying in Yorgen Fenech’s trial by jury, Carmel Wallace Sammut said he frequently saw a small white Hyundai rental car parked for long periods near his home in the Tarġa Gap area, describing it as unusual for the location.

He also recalled seeing a larger silver Peugeot parked nearby on several occasions, sometimes blocking the narrow road.

Sammut told the court the white car was still parked near his home on the morning of 16th October 2017, the day Caruana Galizia was killed, but had disappeared by the afternoon.

Under cross-examination, he described the man he once saw inside one of the vehicles as looking “stiff”, explaining that he kept staring straight ahead.

His wife, Maria Sammut Grech, also testified that she had repeatedly noticed the same white rental car in the area in the weeks before the murder. On one occasion, she also saw a silver or grey car with two men inside.

She told the jury that seeing cars parked in the area for long periods was highly unusual and recalled that the white vehicle was still there when she left home at around 11am and again when she returned home at 1pm on the day of the murder.

During cross-examination, Sammut Grech said she never reported the white car because she did not think it was suspicious enough at the time. Looking back, however, she told the court she felt she should have informed the authorities.

Both witnesses said they never saw the vehicles again after the assassination.

READ NEXT: Live Blog: Day 8 of Yorgen Fenech's Murder Trial, More Witness Testimonies

Charlene Galea

Lovin Malta’s Content Manager, Charlene is a massive Swiftie obsessed with animals, scrolling and travelling. If she’s in the country for more than a day, you can find her reading on @onlyforthebooks