Maltese jury acquits businessman Yorgen Fenech of murder charges in 8-1 vote

The verdict in Valletta

At 7:30pm on Wednesday, a nine-person jury in hall 22 of the Valletta courts of justice cleared businessman Yorgen Fenech of two charges of conspiracy and complicity in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. Jurors dismissed both counts by an 8-1 majority after the 44-year-old businessman gave evidence denying any involvement in the 2017 car bombing. Fenech, the heir to one of Malta's largest business fortunes, had spent over five years in pre-trial detention before securing bail under strict conditions in early 2025. He had faced a life sentence if convicted. The attorney general is reviewing the file to assess whether to file an appeal for a retrial.

I never ordered Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder, or anyone else's. I had no role in her murder.

Investigation and previous convictions

Caruana Galizia was killed on 16 October 2017 when a bomb detonated beneath her car seat. The prosecution built its case around testimony from Melvin Theuma, a taxi driver who was arrested for money laundering in 2019 and received a presidential pardon in exchange for naming Fenech as the paymaster. Armed forces intercepted Fenech aboard his luxury yacht Gio on 20 November 2019 as he attempted to leave Maltese territorial waters. The fallout from the arrest forced the resignation of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in January 2020. Five other individuals have already been convicted in connection with the assassination for supplying the explosives and executing the bombing, with two receiving life sentences and a third receiving a 15-year sentence following a guilty plea.

Reactions from the family and civil society

The Caruana Galizia family condemned the verdict, calling it a denial of justice that leaves the mastermind of the killing unpunished. Matthew Caruana Galizia, the journalist's son, described the decision as obscene and said it disregarded the body of evidence presented at trial. When she died, Caruana Galizia faced more than 40 civil defamation lawsuits tied to her anti-corruption reporting, which Maltese law permits plaintiffs to transfer to her surviving husband and three sons. Civil society groups Repubblika and Occupy Justice joined international press freedom organizations in expressing dismay over the ruling. European Parliament President Roberta Metsola pledged sustained attention to the case in a public message.

We will not give up and we will not give in.

Political fallout and parliamentary recall

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered outside parliament in Valletta following the announcement, chanting slogans at Fenech as he left court under police protection. The opposition Nationalist Party called for lawmakers to return early from summer recess to address the outcome, leading to a special legislative session scheduled for Friday. Leader of the opposition Alex Borg said the unresolved murder represented a failure by the ruling Labour Party, which has held power since 2013. Prime Minister Robert Abela asked the public for restraint while noting that prosecutors possess legal avenues to challenge the ruling.

We should show sympathy, prudence and caution in our comments.

Abela added that two separate investigative tracks regarding the October 2017 killing remain active across Maltese law enforcement agencies.