Yorgen Fenech Claims Witness Lied in Maltese Journalist’s Murder Case

It’s been over four years since journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was murdered while covering a story about corruption in the country’s government. However, the case that rocked the Malta Gaming Authority, and the entire gaming industry, is still dragging through the court system. One of the prime suspects allegedly involved in orchestrating the murder, millionaire Yorgen Fenech, is trying to throw shade on the proceedings. As he sits before a judge, he is calling out one of the witnesses for perjury and expects the courts to take action.

Fenech Stands Trial For Involvement in Journalist’s Assassination

On Thursday, a court heard proceedings filed by Fenech that challenges the police commissioner to bring Melvin Theuma to trial for perjury, according to Times Malta. Fenech is currently being tried for complicity in the murder of Galizia.

Fenech’s attorneys filed the first criminal complaint at Valletta police station on October 22. They asked the police commissioner for an investigation into accusations that Theuma had perjured himself. They then filed a court application challenging the commissioner’s lack of response after no action was taken.

Theuma had previously been given a presidential pardon for his testimony in the case. However, his input was not the only damning evidence provided against Fenech.

Fenech’s lawyers cited extracts from testimonies as well as secret voice recordings that had been a key part of the evidence presented during the murder compilation. They claimed that Theuma had falsely testified and that any reference to Fenech’s involvement was a “total fabrication.”

Theuma’s lawyers filed a separate application to the police commissioner for criminal action against Fenech, for moral violence and slander against their client. Fenech is expected to give evidence again in the businessman’s trial.

Fenech Expects Money to Protect Him

Fenech’s challenge proceedings began Thursday before Magistrate Nadine Lilia. He was sitting in court with the usual tight escort. However, the court charted the path forward after attorneys Charles Mercieca and Gianluca Caruana Curran made their first requests in front of Inspector Daryl Borg from the police legal section.

“The challenge does not enter into the merits. It’s simply to determine whether the police commissioner failed to act,” the court responded.

Fenech’s lawyers requested that the registrar for the criminal courts present copies of certain voice recordings and testimonies referred to in Fenech’s challenge application’s footnotes.

Mercieca stated that there are no secrets in this case and added that the application, along with a USB drive with all recordings, was sent to the police.

He said that they also wanted to summon three witnesses to the stand. These were reportedly included in the original application.

The court ordered the lawyers to file two separate notes referring to the audio recordings and testimonies requested, as well as an application for the transcripts. The pair of attorneys said they will provide the names of witnesses to the hearing within two weeks.

The case will continue to drag through the Maltese court system in February.