Yorgen Fenech's trial for Daphne Caruana Galizia murder begins in Malta
A jury trial opened in Valletta for Yorgen Fenech, the 44‑year‑old heir to the Hilton Malta property empire, accused of commissioning the 2017 car‑bomb murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Prosecutors allege Fenech paid €150,000 to three hitmen through middleman Melvin Theuma, using a bomb hidden in a children's shoebox under the driver’s seat. The journalist, 53, was killed on 16 October 2017 while investigating corruption linked to a power‑station project.
The trial, the first in nearly nine years, features a nine‑person jury and lasts several weeks. Fenech faces charges of complicity in intentional homicide and criminal association, with prosecutors seeking a life sentence for the murder and 20‑30 years for the association charge. Five accomplices have already been convicted, receiving sentences up to life imprisonment.
The case has drawn international attention as a test of press freedom in Malta. Prime Minister Robert Abela has denied any link between the trial and his decision to call a snap election earlier in the year.