MALTA — Matthew Caruana Galizia testified in court on Monday regarding his mother's murder and related investigations. The proceedings are part of the trial of Yorgen Fenech, who is on trial in Malta for complicity in the murder of journalist Daphne Galizia.

Daphne Galizia was killed in a car bombing in October 2017. Matthew Galizia stated that his mother was investigating suspected corruption involving businessman Yorgen Fenech and members of the Maltese government at the time of her death.

Matthew Galizia described the moments he learned of the attack while working as a software engineer. "I was working on some software, and I heard an explosion," he said.

He recounted leaving his workspace to investigate the source of the noise. "I opened the door, I felt the blood drain away… I started walking faster and faster towards the tower of smoke."

The scene he encountered included visible destruction on the roadway. "First I saw fire on the road," he said. "I saw pieces of metal and flesh."

His attention was drawn upward by the rising plume from the blast site. "My eyes followed the smoke, and I saw a huge ball of fire," he said. "I ran towards it."

Upon approaching the vehicle, he noted the persistent sound of the alarm system. "The horn was going off; it wouldn’t stop," he said. He identified the victim through the wreckage. "I saw a shadow in the car, and I remember saying, ‘That’s my mom.’"

Prior to the killing, Matthew Galizia had uncovered digital evidence linked to the accused. He discovered thousands of emails on the servers of Electrogas, a company partly owned by Yorgen Fenech.

Galizia shared the Electrogas emails with his mother. "I had to share what I was seeing with my mother," he said. "I believed it was too important."

During his testimony, Galizia described the government's tendering process for the Electrogas project as corrupt. The judge interjected during the testimony to state that this description was an opinion, not a statement of fact.

Galizia had contacted the Guardian prior to his mother's murder to collaborate on an investigation into Electrogas. "We never got to do it," he said.

Reviewing the correspondence continues to affect him emotionally. "In fact, when I see these emails, my heart beats fast because I’m taken back to that time when I was with my mother planning on what to do," he said.

Following the death of his mother, Galizia left his software engineering career to return to Malta to pursue justice for her killing. "We had to make it our mission, which we did," he said. "It came at enormous personal cost."

After Daphne Galizia's murder, Matthew Galizia established the Daphne Project with publications including the Guardian and Reuters to continue investigating Electrogas. Reporting by the Daphne Project uncovered evidence suggesting Yorgen Fenech intended to pay bribes to secure the power station concession.

Yorgen Fenech denies the charges related to the murder of Daphne Galizia. Yorgen Fenech is 44 years old and is the heir to one of the largest fortunes in Malta. His inheritance includes a property empire that features several Hilton hotels.

Electrogas won the contract to privatize part of Malta’s electricity infrastructure after the Muscat government won the 2013 general election. Daphne Galizia's revelations triggered a snap general election.

Evidence presented in the case outlines interactions between the accused and intermediaries. Yorgen Fenech helped plot Daphne Galizia's routine, identifying a cafe and restaurant she frequented. Melvin Theuma was given a burner phone to contact the hitmen.

Yorgen Fenech texted Melvin Theuma from his boat saying he was preparing champagne in case the killing happened. Yorgen Fenech asked Melvin Theuma to call off the attack after Prime Minister Joseph Muscat called a snap general election.

Melvin Theuma revealed he had been in regular text contact with Daphne Galizia's sons, Matthew and Paul. On the day she was killed, Daphne Galizia prepared a mozzarella and tomato salad before leaving in her car to go to the bank.

Why It Matters

The trial tests whether Malta's judicial system can hold powerful figures accountable for silencing a journalist investigating government corruption. Matthew Galizia's shift from software engineer to investigator shows the personal costs families bear when pursuing justice after such killings. The proceedings also determine the legal consequences for alleged collusion between business interests and state officials in the privatization of national infrastructure.