- Yorgen Fenech has been acquitted of orchestrating the 2017 car bomb murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, with the jury returning an 8-1 not guilty verdict after eight hours of deliberation.
- The trial lasted 55 days and began on July 1, 2023.
- Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed by a car bomb in October 2017, leading to widespread public outrage and protests.
- Fenech was arrested in 2019 on his yacht and faced charges of complicity in murder and criminal conspiracy to kill.
- George and Alfred Degiorgio were jailed for 40 years in 2022 for their involvement in the murder.
- Robert Agius and Jamie Vella were sentenced to life in prison in 2025 for supplying the bomb used in the assassination.
- Daphne Caruana Galizia was known for her investigations into corruption and money laundering, gaining international prominence for her work.
- An independent inquiry in 2021 concluded that the Maltese state bears responsibility for the assassination due to a culture of impunity.
- Muscat, the former prime minister, stepped down in January 2020 due to the political fallout from the assassination.
Maltese tycoon Yorgen Fenech was acquitted of orchestrating the 2017 car bomb murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, with a jury returning an 8-1 not guilty verdict after eight hours of deliberation. Fenech, 44, faced serious charges including complicity in her murder and criminal association to commit murder, which he denied.125611
The jury's decision came at the end of a 55-day trial that has drawn significant attention due to the implications of corruption and cronyism in Malta. Fenech's family celebrated the verdict in a packed courtroom in Valletta, while Caruana Galizia's family expressed their grief, stating, “Nine years after Daphne's brutal assassination, the institutional failures that enabled her murder remain unaddressed and unreformed.”
Caruana Galizia, known for her investigations into corruption and organized crime, was killed in a car bombing near her home. Her work, particularly her involvement in the 2016 Panama Papers investigation, made her a target for threats and ultimately led to her assassination. Fenech was arrested in 2019 on his yacht and faced life in prison but walked out of court a free man.7810
The case has highlighted the need for accountability, as an independent inquiry concluded that the Maltese state “has to bear responsibility” for the assassination due to a culture of impunity at the highest levels of government. Fenech's defense claimed he was framed, pointing to his former associate, Keith Schembri, as the true mastermind behind the murder.12
“The 8-1 verdict came after 55 days of trial, with Fenech's family celebrating in court while Caruana Galizia's relatives wept. Her family said 'institutional failures that enabled her murder remain unaddressed and unreformed,' and called for accountability for those who 'enabled, facilitated, or protected her murderers.'”
