Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1398811
5 NEWS maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 4 AUGUST 2021 MATTHEW AGIUS A Marsa shop owner has testi- fied how he served as the go-be- tween to hand over money to the brother of two men accused with Daphne Caruana Galizia's mur- der. Joseph Brincat known as Suk- ku testified how Lawrence Pace, known as il-Lolly, used to give him money, which he would then hand over to Mario Degior- gio. Mario is the brother of Alfred and George Degiorgio, both ac- cused of carrying out the Carua- na Galizia's assassination. Brincat was testifying in the compilation of evidence against murder mastermind Yorgen Fenech on Tuesday. In previous testimony, Pace had said that pardoned mid- dleman Melvin Theuma would give him money to pass on to Mario. The money ostensibly came from Fenech as part of an ar- rangement to finance the ex- penses of the three men accused of carrying out the bombing that killed Caruana Galizia. The three men - Alfred and George Degior- gio, and Vince Muscat - had been arrested in December 2017. The money would then be handed to Brincat, who would give it to Mario against a receipt. Brincat testified that Pace had approached him in June, around a year after the Degiorgio broth- ers were arrested in connection with the Caruana Galizia murder. "The most he [Pace] ever gave me was €300 and other times €200, this happened some four times. This occurred once a week and happened over the span of four to six weeks," Brin- cat testified. The witness told the court that Pace told him the money was intended to give €100 each to the Degiorgio brothers and Muscat. Earlier this year, Muscat plead- ed guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 15 years in jail. The case against the Degiorgio brothers is ongoing. Another witness, a Transport Malta official, today confirmed that the yacht by the name Gio, on which Fenech was intercept- ed in November 2019, was regis- tered to the Tumas Group. However, the witness said Fenech owned a yacht with the name Kon Tiki 2. The compilation of evidence against Fenech continues on 9 August at 10am. The evidence against Fenech primarily rests on the testimony of Theuma, who acted as a mid- dleman between the business magnate and the three men who carried out the assassination. Theuma had secretly recorded various conversations between himself, Fenech and others, and was given a presidential pardon to tell all in 2019. Caruana Galizia was murdered on 16 October 2017 just after leaving her house in Bidnija. A bomb placed inside her car was detonated remotely by an SMS. Courtroom players Magistrate Rachel Montebello is presiding. Superintendent Keith Arnaud and Inspector Kurt Zahra are prosecuting, aided by Deputy Attorney General Philip Galea Farrugia. Fenech's defence lawyers are Marion Camilleri, Charles Mer- cieca and Gianluca Caruana Curran. Lawyers Jason Azzopardi and Therese Comodini Cachia are appearing parte civile for the Caruana Galizia family. Court hears of Marsa network getting money to men accused of murdering Daphne Caruana Galizia Yorgen Fenech MATTHEW AGIUS A courtroom was left stunned as a domestic violence arraignment ended with the defence lawyer shouting at the prosecution and parte civile lawyer for bringing the victim to the sitting before storming out. The 42-year-old accused, who is not being named to protect his alleged victim, pleaded not guilty to charges of harassment of his wife, limiting her access to money, education or employ- ment. He was also charged with insulting and threatening the woman, holding her against her will and attacking her on Au- gust 1 this year. Before Magistrate Yana Mi- callef Stafrace, the man plead- ed not guilty to the charges. Defence counsel, lawyer Mario Mifsud, requested bail. Inspector Audrey Micallef, prosecuting, objected to the request, citing the risk of him tampering with evidence and the grave nature of the charges. Mifsud made an impassioned speech, arguing for bail. "I am not taking anything away from the seriousness of the charg- es, but in every case, there is gravity. If the woman is living in Qormi, I expect him not to approach Qormi. So insofar as witnesses are involved, if he calls her or approaches her, the inspector would be informed and proceedings against him triggered. "I believe he should be given bail," said the lawyer, citing two recent cases where he said per- sons had been remanded in cus- tody for a long period of time, for nothing. "He's learned his lesson and is terrified. The mar- riage will be dissolved civilly if need be." "If we put him in prison, he will lose his job and his problems will grow, not get smaller," said the lawyer, reminding his client that a protection order carries severe punishment if breached. But the sitting descended into chaos after parte civile lawyer Emmy Bezzina addressed the court, telling the magistrate that the woman had been a seeking his help for the past year. "She and her daughter are terrified," said Bezzina. "He re- fused to attend mediation…" began the lawyer, before being interrupted by a suddenly furi- ous Mifsud who shouted at the lawyer "you do not have locus standi on bail!" Inspector Micallef, took over from Bezzina, telling the court that while under interrogation, the man showed a lack of aware- ness of having done anything wrong. The two lawyers continued to bicker in the background. At a point, Mifsud roared "M'ghandekx locus standi Em- my, filkaz mur tkellem fuq il PBS!" (You don't have the right to address the court, Emmy, why don't you go talk about it on PBS?". "You and the inspector should be ashamed for bringing the vic- tim here! She should have been summoned to testify via vid- eoconferencing," said Mifsud, stalking out of the courtroom. Bail was denied, shortly after- wards, at which point Mifsud stormed back into the court- room shouting "Now some bloodsucking lawyers will come along and get him bail!" Defence lawyer objects to domestic violence victim's presence in courtroom, storms out of sitting