Issue link: https://maltatoday.uberflip.com/i/1546155
7 maltatoday | WEDNESDAY • 12 AUGUST 2026 ANALYSIS lying on the witness stand in Yorgen Fenech's trial Six days later, however, Vella gave a dif- ferent account. He said Schembri stopped midway down the stairs and specifically pointed towards documents lying face- down on a table. "Take those," Vella re- called Schembri telling him. Vella said he picked up four documents, folded them and put them in his pocket. The dispute | The difference is significant: Schembri says Vella went upstairs chose the papers himself; Vella says Schembri specifically pointed them out. POLICE OFFICERS VS KEITH SCHEMBRI The issue | Who chose the devices seized from Schembri's home? The testimony | On day 23, scene-of- crime officer Michelle Camilleri said po- lice searching Schembri's Mellieħa home in the afternoon were instructed by their superiors to collect electronic devices "flagged" by Schembri. Sergeant Mario Azzopardi gave a similar account. "We were only meant to take what Keith told us to take, and nothing else," he testified, acknowledging that this was not how searches were normally conducted. Schembri categorically rejected their ev- idence. He denied identifying any devices and accused the officers of lying. "Bring them here now, let them look me in the eye, and have them repeat what they said. It's not true." The dispute | Two officers say Schembri indicated which devices they should seize; Schembri says he did no such thing. JOHANN CREMONA AND MELVIN THEUMA VS KEITH SCHEMBRI The issue | Was Schembri leaking information to Fenech? The testimony | Another recurring dispute concerns whether Schembri was feeding Fenech information about the mur- der investigation which was then reaching Theuma. On day 18, Johann Cremona said Theuma had told him: "Yorgen got infor- mation from Keith." When the allegation was put to Schembri on day 24, prosecutor Godwin Cini told him that recordings appeared to imply Fenech was receiving information from Schembri and relaying it to Theuma. "Never," Schem- bri replied. Day 33 of the jury then saw Melvin Theu- ma describe Fenech passing information to him which, according to what Fenech told him, had originated from Schembri. The is- sue also resurfaced on day 34 as jurors were taken through Theuma's secret recordings of Fenech. In one excerpt, Fenech referred to "Prim", "Valletta", "Owen" and "Cardo- na", which Theuma said concerned a Cab- inet meeting discussing Vince Muscat's request for a presidential pardon. Accord- ing to Theuma, Fenech had received that information from Schembri. Theuma also described what he said was a chain through which information travelled from Castille: Schembri would pass information to Ken- neth Camilleri, Camilleri to Johann Cremo- na, and Cremona would relay it to Theuma. The dispute | Theuma and Cremona's evidence points towards information travelling from Schembri through Fenech and others; Schembri categorically denies providing Fenech with information. It has to be noted that Schembri is facing separate criminal proceedings after he was charged with breaching the Official Secrets Act over confidential information from the Caruana Galizia investigation to Yorgen Fenech. VINCE MUSCAT VS GEORGE DEGIORGIO The issue | Was the €50,000 deposit for the alleged 2015 murder plot paid? The testimony | Vince Muscat, known as il-Koħħu, is a convicted hitman who ad- mitted his role in Caruana Galizia's murder and later turned state witness. He is cur- rently serving a 15-year prison sentence. George Degiorgio also pleaded guilty to his involvement in the murder and was handed a 40-year prison sentence, the same as his brother Alfred Degiorgio. Caruana Galizia was murdered on 16 October 2017 but ju- rors also heard about a previous plot to kill her in 2015 that never materialised. The alleged mastermind of this plot was then Economy Minister Chris Cardona and his friend, lawyer David Gatt. Muscat told jurors on days 11 and 12 that €150,000 had been agreed for the alleged 2015 murder plot to kill Daphne Caruana Galizia. He said a €50,000 deposit was also agreed but never paid, despite George De- giorgio repeatedly chasing lawyer David Gatt for the money. George Degiorgio directly contradicted him on day 13. Degiorgio claimed the de- posit was paid and he kept €10,000, used another €10,000 for expenses, gave €10,000 to Gatt and distributed the remainder between Muscat and Alfred Degiorgio. George even alleged Muscat had taken his share and gone "straight to the casino with it". The dispute | Muscat says the €50,000 deposit never arrived; Degiorgio says it was paid and even gave jurors an account of how the money was distributed. Through- out his testimony, Degiorgio would only make reference to the 2015 plot, pinning it on Cardona, Gatt and Keith Schembri. VINCE MUSCAT VS GEORGE DEGIORGIO The issue | Who was behind Melvin Theuma? The testimony | Muscat told jurors on day 12 that he understood Theuma was receiv- ing instructions from somebody else, but did not know who that person was. He said he only heard Yorgen Fenech's name linked to the murder after he began cooperating with investigators in 2018 after his arrest. George Degiorgio presented a radically different account on day 13. He alleged that the people behind the 2017 plot were the "same ones from 2015" and claimed Theu- ma told them Keith Schembri had sent him. Degiorgio further alleged that Chris Cardo- na subsequently confirmed this to them. The dispute | Muscat says he did not know who was behind Theuma in the 2017 murder plot; Degiorgio claims Theuma identified Schembri and that Cardona later confirmed it. Middleman in the Daphne Caruana Galizia assasination Melvin Theuma (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday) Former OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday) George Degiorgio known as Ic-Ciniz arriving in court to testify in jury proceedings last month (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday) Vince Muscat il-Kohhu (Photo: James Bianchi/ MaltaToday)