Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546133
YORGEN FENECH TRIAL SUNDAY • 9 AUGUST 2026 | maltatoday Yorgen Fenech's trial by jury Anna Calleja is a Maltese visual artist who works across figurative her usual studio practice, capturing the immediacy of the trial as Melvin Theuma, the self-confessed middleman who was granted a presidential pardon, takes the stand KAYLYN LINWOOD klinwood@mediatoday.com.mt 'I would throw her from the balcony': Fenech's violent remarks after assassination exposed JURORS in the trial of Yorgen Fenech heard on Saturday how the accused still wanted Daph- ne Caruana Galizia dead after her assassination. "I would throw her from a bal- cony with my own hands," the jurors heard Fenech state in one of the many recordings played in court as pardoned middle- man Melvin Theuma contin- ued testifying. During another recording played to jurors, Fenech is heard establishing three tiers: 10 years for the hitmen, seven years for himself, and five years for Theuma. Theuma verified from the stand that these num- bers referred to years behind bars. The audio recording also cap- tured Fenech referring to the slain journalist: "I would throw her to her death with my own hands, and I won't regret it!" From the witness stand, Theu- ma also revealed coordinated efforts to block Vince Mus- cat's plea deal when he started to speak to the police in 2018. Muscat was one of the hitmen and in custody, awaiting trial. Theuma testified that Johann Cremona was instructed to or- ganise threats against Muscat's lawyer Arthur Azzopardi. The intimidation led Azzopardi to release Muscat as his client, while Theuma noted that Mus- cat had previously rejected a 12-year prison sentence offer. In additional revelations, Theuma described how the lawyer William Cuschieri , who represented George and Alfred Degiorgio, deliberately stepped away to go to the bathroom during a prison visit to allow the Degiorgios to confront Muscat for talking to the police. Audio played in court also linked the Degiorgio brothers and Muscat to the 2014 shoot- ing of Jonathan Pace, known as Tyson Butcher, in Fgura. Fenech was heard noting that the Degiorgios gave Muscat a €2,000 "discount", charging €8,000 instead of €10,000 for the hit job. On tape, Fenech dismissed the public outrage following the 2017 assassination, claiming activists made Caruana Galizia "look like Mary Magdalene" and asserting that only 4,000 people supported her. Fenech had pointed to attacks from then-PN leader Adrian Delia as evidence of Daphne's isolation. Recorded exchanges also brought the highest levels of government into focus, with explicit references to former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and ministers Chris Cardona and Owen Bonnici indicated as having discussed Vince Mus- cat's pardon request. Theuma testified that Fenech claimed Keith Schembri was actively leaking confidential Cabinet deliberations to then Deputy Police Commissioner Silvio Valletta. Theuma also explained an audio clip where Fenech noted that Schembri had three ongoing court cases of his own which he couldn't get out of, let alone the homi- cide case. Theuma then addressed Fenech's recorded comment asking: "What should I do? Go to the judge and tell him I killed her?" Theuma recalled Fenech telling him he felt "trapped be- tween four walls", adding that Fenech remarked: "I executed the Electrogas deal perfectly, but I cannot escape this murder problem." Theuma then reiterated pre- vious testimony, alleging that Fenech had offered money to the Nationalist Party to pre- vent MEP David Casa from being re-elected in the 2019 European election because of his persistent reporting on 17 Black. The prosecution is being led by AG lawyers Godwin Cini, Anthony Vella, and Danika Vella, with Assistant Commis- sioner Keith Arnaud and In- spector Kurt Zahra. Defence is led by lawyers Charles Mercieca, Gianella de Marco and Gianluca Caruana Curran. Lawyers Therese Comodini Cachia and Jason Azzopardi are appearing parte civile for the Caruana Galizia family. Judge Edwina Grima is presid- ing over the jury.