[REVISION HISTORY]

Yorgen Fenech acquittal faces appeal and misconduct claims

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2026-10-12 09:33 UTC → 2026-10-16 07:30 UTC · added ~~removed~~

Following the acquittal of Yorgen Fenech in the 2017 car-bomb assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, the prosecution is expected to appeal the verdict. The Attorney General has formally filed an appeal against the 8-1 jury verdict on charges of complicity in murder and criminal association. This appeal will be heard by a three-judge panel in the criminal Court of Appeal, including the President of the Supreme Court, and is typically limited to questions of legal legitimacy rather than a re-evaluation of specific evidence. The verdict has triggered allegations of jury interference. Maltese police are investigating potential misconduct, ~~having questioned several individuals,~~ including ~~three jurors, an alternate juror, and a juror’s spouse, regarding~~ social media activity and ~~allegations that a juror may have used a~~ the use of mobile ~~phone~~ phones during deliberations. ~~Recent investigations have~~ Investigations uncovered WhatsApp messages from a jury group titled ‘Il-linja tal-verità’ (The Line of ~~Truth) following~~ Truth), which contained comments expressing bias against the arrest of four jurors. These communications may reveal significant bias; one juror who acquitted Fenech reportedly commented that ‘not even her children mourn her’ hours before mass protests in Valletta. Other messages included victim and ridicule of ~~murder middleman Melvin Theuma’s religious expressions. Additional findings include a juror failing to disclose past negative posts~~ witnesses. Legal challenges regarding ~~Caruana Galizia, a juror sharing content opposing compensation for~~ the ~~victim’s family, and a reserve juror expressing personal animosity toward~~ integrity of the ~~journalist on social media in 2023. Civil society group Repubblika~~ trial have intensified. The defense has ~~described these comments as part~~ requested the discharge of ~~a ‘campaign~~ the jury, arguing that court-provided tablets allowed jurors to access 489 media headlines during sequestration, potentially undermining isolation. The prosecution has objected, stating the defense should have raised this earlier and that access does not prove the material was viewed. During trial testimony, Fenech accused investigators of ~~hatred’~~ framing him and ~~has announced~~ protecting former Office of the Prime Minister chief of staff Keith Schembri. Fenech claimed Schembri had expressed a ~~protest for October 16~~ desire to ~~mark nine years since~~ have Caruana Galizia killed and mentioned paying €30,000 for the ~~journalist's death. Prosecutors are expected to use~~ murder, though prosecutors have challenged Fenech on inconsistencies regarding these ~~findings~~ claims. Nine years after the assassination, the movement for justice continues. While several individuals have been convicted, the question of who ordered the killing remains unresolved. International solidarity has grown, with organizations such as the Croatian Journalists' Association joining the #JusticeForDaphne campaign to ~~support arguments~~ protest the ongoing struggle for ~~a retrial.~~ accountability.

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