VALLETTA — A jury in Malta acquitted businessman Yorgen Fenech of complicity in the murder and criminal association to commit murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia on September 2, 2026. The verdict rejected prosecutors' arguments that Fenech used political influence and a €150,000 payment to orchestrate the 2017 car bombing.

The jury voted 8-1 to acquit the 44-year-old defendant on both charges after deliberating for eight hours. Fenech had pleaded not guilty to the accusations throughout the proceedings.

Prosecutor Anthony Vella stated that Fenech believed he could "buy justice." "You are being asked to decide whether a man who had extensive contacts in politics and among the heads of public entities had enough power to pay for Daphne to be killed," Vella said during the trial.

Prosecutors accused Fenech of paying €150,000 via middleman Melvin Theuma to have Caruana Galizia killed. Fenech testified that he acted as a messenger between Keith Schembri and Theuma, claiming that Theuma blackmailed him.

Keith Schembri, former chief of staff to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, testified during the trial and denied any involvement in the murder. Police told the court that Schembri was never a suspect in the murder investigation.

Fenech walked out of the Valletta courtroom to hecklers after the verdict was announced. He made no comment following the acquittal.

Caruana Galizia's family released a statement on Facebook saying the verdict denied her the "justice she deserves." "Nine years after Daphne's brutal assassination, the institutional failures that enabled her murder remain unaddressed and unreformed," the family wrote. "Lasting justice means no person should ever face the same risks again. Our country failed to protect Daphne. It owes it to her to prevent other lives being lost."

Timeline

Daphne Caruana Galizia was 53 years old at the time of her death on October 16, 2017, when she was killed by a car bomb. At the time of her death, she was facing more than 40 libel suits. Fenech was arrested in 2019 while sailing away from Malta on his yacht.

Melvin Theuma was granted a presidential pardon in 2019 in exchange for testimony. Muscat resigned as Prime Minister in January 2020 following protests linked to Fenech's arrest. Fenech was indicted in 2021 on charges of complicity and criminal conspiracy.

What's New

Additional reporting confirms that Fenech was arrested in 2019 while attempting to flee Malta on his yacht, following the initial investigation into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Prosecutors accused Fenech of paying €150,000 via middleman Melvin Theuma to have Daphne Caruana Galizia killed. George Degiorgio, one of the alleged hitmen, pleaded guilty in 2022 and was sentenced to 40 years in prison for his role in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

Melvin Theuma, the middleman accused of facilitating the murder, was granted a presidential pardon in November 2019 in exchange for his testimony against Fenech. Muscat, the former Prime Minister of Malta, resigned in January 2020 following public protests linked to the arrest of Fenech. Daphne Caruana Galizia was a prominent investigative journalist who had previously been targeted by legal actions, with over 40 libel suits filed against her during the final years of her life. Fenech, a businessman and property developer, owns two Hilton hotels in Malta and has a stake in a power station, and his family also has significant business interests in the country. In 2021, an independent inquiry into Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder concluded that the Maltese state bore responsibility for the assassination due to a culture of impunity, though it did not find direct government involvement.

How Sources Differ

Sources differ on details regarding Daphne Caruana Galizia. The Malta Office of the Attorney General indictment states that prosecutors accused Fenech of paying €150,000 via middleman Melvin Theuma to have Daphne Caruana Galizia killed, while the Malta Criminal Court verdict records that a jury in Malta acquitted Fenech of complicity in the murder and criminal association to commit murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. The Malta Office of the Attorney General indictment accuses Fenech of paying for the killing, whereas other evidence indicates that at the time of her murder, Daphne Caruana Galizia was investigating the link between an offshore company called 17 Black and corruption in the Electrogas project which Fenech led. The Malta Office of the Attorney General indictment focuses on the payment allegation, while the Malta Police Force incident report establishes that Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed by a car bomb on October 16, 2017. The Malta Criminal Court verdict acquits Fenech, while other evidence shows her investigation into the 17 Black offshore company and the Electrogas project led by Fenech. The Daphne Caruana Galizia blog 'Running Commentary' notes that she wrote extensively about suspected corruption in political and business circles in Malta, while other evidence specifies her investigation into the 17 Black and Electrogas connection. The Malta Civil Registry death record states that Daphne Caruana Galizia was 53 years old at the time of her death, while Malta Courts civil docket records note that she was facing more than 40 libel suits at the time of her death.

Why It Matters

The acquittal of Fenech leaves unresolved questions about who ordered the murder if not Fenech, as several individuals have already been convicted for carrying out or facilitating the killing. George Degiorgio and Alfred Degiorgio pleaded guilty in 2022 to carrying out the slaying and were each sentenced to 40 years in prison. Jamie Vella and Robert Agius were sentenced to life in prison in 2025 for supplying the bomb. Vincent Muscat pleaded guilty in 2021 to his role in the slaying and was sentenced to 15 years in prison.

The case has had political repercussions in Malta, including the resignation of Prime Minister Muscat in January 2020 following protests linked to Fenech's arrest. An independent inquiry published in 2021 concluded that the Maltese state bears responsibility for the assassination due to a culture of impunity, though it did not find proof of the government's direct involvement in the murder. The report stated that the state created a favorable climate for the killing. Fenech is separately facing multiple criminal charges for corruption, money laundering, and the illicit purchase of firearms and poison.