Caruana Galizia murder compilation: Police investigating Yorgen Fenech attempt to procure cyanide
Yorgen Fenech compilation of evidence | Fenech's wife claims to have received phone call from husband's seized mobile phone • Court hears of WhatsApp group between Fenech, Joseph Muscat and Keith Schembri: 'We are like brothers'
Key points from the testimony of Inspector Kurt Zahra:
- Yorgen Fenech, Joseph Muscat and Keith Schembri had a WhatsApp group between themselves
- ‘We are like brothers,’ Fenech told police when describing his relationship with Muscat and Schembri
- Muscat was questioned ‘under caution’ at police depot last week over claims made by Fenech
- Police are investigating Fenech’s attempt to procure cyanide, a deadly chemical
- Fenech showed 'no remorse' over Daphne's murder during interrogation
Other court testimony:
- Fenech’s wife claims that on 28 August she found a missed call from her husband’s mobile phone that is seized by the police
- Incident is subject of a police investigation
- Fenech’s mobile phone is physically at Europol quarters in The Hague
Yorgen Fenech is being investigated over alleged attempts to procure cyanide, police inspector Kurt Zahra said in court.
Zahra was testifying under cross-examination in the compilation of evidence against Fenech, who is accused of masterminding the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Zahra’s testimony was met by an immediate rebuttal from Fenech’s lawyers, who insisted this was not true.
READ ALSO: What is cyanide?
No further details were given on this but Zahra’s testimony today confirmed that Fenech had a WhatsApp group with former prime minister Joseph Muscat and his chief of staff Keith Schembri.
Zahra said that during interrogation, Fenech had described his relationship with Muscat and Schembri as being “like brothers”.
He also confirmed that when Muscat was called in for questioning on 21 August, this was done under caution.
MaltaToday had revealed that Muscat was questioned about the WhatsApp group he had with Fenech and Schembri.
Testifying today, Zahra said Fenech claimed to have had two meetings with Muscat in January 2019 in which Caruana Galizia’s murder was discussed. In one meeting, Muscat allegedly asked Fenech whether Melvin Theuma could be trusted, to which Fenech purportedly replied “no”, because he was recording him.
Muscat has denied the allegations and always insisted that he never discussed the murder investigation with Fenech. The former prime minister has also insisted that any communication with Fenech was continued on the advice of the secret service so as not to arouse the man’s suspicion that he was a murder suspect.
Fenech was eventually arrested in November 2019 as he was trying to leave Malta on board his yacht.
The murder suspect has denied trying to escape the country but in court today, Zahra testified that messages extracted from Fenech’s mobile phone show that he asked relatives to “take care of my children”.
Zahra testified last week, how Fenech had claimed Schembri was the mastermind behind the murder, having also forked out €80,000 to foot part of the assassination bill.
The court heard how Schembri allegedly told Fenech to get on with the murder plan: “Mexxi, mexxi, mexxi.”
READ MORE: Caruana Galizia assassination: Yorgen Fenech told police Keith Schembri paid €80,000 for murder
Before Zahra took the witness stand, Fenech’s wife Marlene Fenech, testified about a police report she filed last Friday.
Fenech’s wife claimed to have found a missed call from the mobile phone belonging to her husband even though this is supposed to have been seized by the police.
The prosecution said the phone was physically at Europol’s headquarters in The Hague, Netherlands, and the police task force investigating the Caruana Galizia murder had copies of the data extracted from it.
An investigation into this claim is ongoing.
The evidence against Fenech primarily rests on the testimony of Melvin Theuma, the middleman in the murder. Theuma, who had secretly recorded various conversations between himself, Fenech and others, was given a presidential pardon to tell all last year.
Magistrate Rachel Montebello is hearing the compilation of evidence against Fenech.
The defence lawyers are Marion Camilleri, Gianluca Caruana Curran and Charles Mercieca.
The prosecution is being led by inspectors Keith Arnaud and Kurt Zahra, assisted by the Attorney General.
Lawyers Jason Azzopardi and Therese Comodini Cachia are appearing parte civile for the Caruana Galizia family.