Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1536175
3 maltatoday | SUNDAY • 8 JUNE 2025 NEWS prosecution's hand in Yorgen Fenech trial testimony was backed up by forensic ev- idence. The prosecution's standing was stronger, even though defence lawyers for Adrian Agius, Jamie Vella and George De- giorgio tried to challenge Muscat's version of events. Nonetheless, jurors once again, believed Muscat and in another strong verdict found all three guilty by seven votes to two. The only acquittal was that of Robert Agius, who jurors found not guilty by six votes to three of complicity in the Chircop murder. The prosecution's decision to charge all gang murders together for both murders, even though they were not linked apart from the people involved being the same, paid off. If Muscat was to be believed in the Chircop murder case, where forensic evidence was available to back up some of his claims, it would have been difficult for jurors not to believe his testimony in the Caruana Galizia case. Believing Theuma Significantly, the unanimous verdict against Robert Agius and Jamie Vella as the bomb suppliers in the Caruana Gal- izia murder case, shows that jurors also believed the testimony given by pardoned middleman Melvin Theuma. Theuma was the person, who acted as go-between for alleged Caruana Galizia murder mastermind Yorgen Fenech and the three hitmen—brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio, and Vince Muscat. The Degiorgio brothers are each serving a 40-year jail term after admitting their in- volvement in the journalist's murder. In the Maksar gang trial, Theuma testified how Fenech had told him to look for "Ta' Maksar" and warn them that police were targeting their Żebbuġ garage after Muscat started cooperating with the police. This happened sometime in 2018 when Muscat and the Degiorgio brothers were already in custody awaiting trial. Muscat had started cooperating with the police but information he gave was some- how being leaked back to the Degiorgios and Fenech. At the same time, Theuma had started recording conversations he had with Fenech as insurance—Theuma started fearing for his life and knew that he was the only person linking Fenech to Caruana Galizia's hitmen. Theuma was eventually given a presi- dential pardon to tell all and in November 2019, Fenech was arrested and charged. Theuma's testimony in the Maksar gang trial strengthened the testimony given by Muscat in relation to the Caruana Galizia murder. And jurors believed both men, bringing Chapter 2 in the Caruana Galizia murder case to a successful close for the prosecution. Chapter 3 in the Caruana Galizia murder case has yet to be finalised but last week's verdict undoubtedly strengthens the hands of prosecutors in the pending trial by jury of Yorgen Fenech, where Theuma is the key witness. Bianchi/MaltaToday) If Muscat was to be believed in the Chircop murder case, where forensic evidence was available to back up some of his claims, it would have been difficult for jurors not to believe his testimony in the Caruana Galizia case BE EXCLUSIVE BE EXCLUSIVE BE EXCLUSIVE BE EXCLUSIVE BE EXCLUSIVE BE EXCLUSIVE BE EXCLUSIVE BE EXCLUSIVE BE EXCLUSIVE & DESIGN TRADEMARK REGISTER YOUR BEFORE YOU MAKE IT PUBLIC IL-GVERN TA' MALTA ·½ĊėþĤࢫn{§§࣒H̷̽ࢷࢫ§࣒½ėþöþŧ ĤࢫöþÌtHėėࢫĊėþėHt4