Caruana Galizia murder: Magistrate in Keith Schembri perjury case recuses herself

Fomer OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri is yet to be charged over his alleged leaking of information about the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation.

On Thursday, Schembri was supposed to be arraigned and charged with perjury and breaking the Official Secrets Act.

Thursday’s arraignment came five years after the pardoned middleman in the murder case, Melvin Theuma stated that Schembri had kept the murder’s alleged mastermind Yorgen Fenech up to date with developments of the police investigation.

The perjury charge involves Schembri’s testimony on 18 December 2019, where he denied instructing Fenech on what to say to the police, informing him of progress in the murder investigation, and telling the alleged mastermind that his phone was being tapped.

Keith Schembri (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

But before Schembri could be charged, his defence questioned whether magistrate Gianella Camilleri Busuttil, who was to be overseeing the sittings, had ever worked on cases involving Schembri when she was a prosecutor in the Attorney General’s Office. Camilleri Busuttil had been appointed as a magistrate in 2023.

The magistrate said that she definitely had acted as prosecutor in the case against the Degiorgio brothers, with the defence stating that many of the witnesses that will testify in this case were probably witnesses summoned by the magistrate when she was a prosecutor.

After a short discussion with their client, the defence requested the recusal of the magistrate.

The request was upheld by the magistrate, noting that the case will be re-assigned.

11:53

That's all for today, the case will be continued on another day. 

Karl Azzopardi

11:51

The magistrate has recused herself from the hearing, as the case will be re-assigned to another magistrate.

Karl Azzopardi

11:50

The magistrate has just returned to the courtroom.

Karl Azzopardi

11:04

The sitting is currently suspended.

Karl Azzopardi

11:03

Before Schembri could be charged, his defence asked magistrate Gianella Camilleri Busuttil about her history working as a prosecutor within the Attorney General’s Office. The defence asked the magistrate whether she had ever been involved in cases where Schembri was involved.

The magistrate said that she definitely had acted as prosecutor in the case against the Degiorgio brothers, with the defence stating that many of the witnesses that will testify in this case were probably witnesses summoned by the magistrate when she was a prosecutor.

After a short discussion with their client, the defence requested the recusal of the magistrate.

Karl Azzopardi

10:55

The magistrate has just entered the courtroom. The sitting is about to begin.

Karl Azzopardi

10:41

 Today’s sitting has just been moved to Hall 29, as court staff informed those present in Hall 14 that there is no power in the courtroom.

Karl Azzopardi

10:33

Good morning, journalist Matthew Farrugia is outside the courtroom together with other members of the press who are waiting to be let in. 

Karl Azzopardi