Trial by jury of Maksar brothers, Jamie Vella and George Degiorgio over Chircop, Caruana Galizia murders begins

First day concludes

Anthony Vella informs the court that he has a few more points to address but will wrap up his arguments and continue tomorrow morning at 9am.

Lawyer Noel Bianco said the defence is still awaiting the witness list, which will be sent to him later tonight.

With that, the jurors depart and will continue tomorrow.

Thank you for following today's hearing with MaltaToday. We will live-blog tomorrow's hearing too. 

The murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia

Jurors were also given an account of the final moments of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was killed in a car bomb attack on 16 October 2017.

The court heard how she left her home in Bidnija that afternoon, telling her son Matthew that she had an appointment at the bank. After briefly returning to collect her chequebook, she said goodbye and drove off in her Peugeot 108. Moments later, at around 3pm, a massive explosion killed her instantly.

According to lawyer Anthony Vella, parts of Caruana Galizia’s body were flung across the area by the blast, while others were left charred inside the car. Her son, Matthew, was among the first on the scene and witnessed the devastating aftermath.
The lawyer mentioned an eyewitness who saw the explosion happen in real time

Vella said the attack had been meticulously planned. The original plot had been to shoot Caruana Galizia outside her home, with three firearms reportedly prepared for the act. However, this plan was abandoned in favour of a car bomb to ensure her death. The device was rigged alongside a fuel tank to amplify the explosion’s destructive impact.

The prosecution described the killing as a “well-planned assassination”.

Court back in session

Jurors are being presented with critical developments in the murder of lawyer Carmel Chircop, whose body was found in Birkirkara on the morning of 8 October 2015. Chircop was discovered lying in a pool of blood, half of his body inside a garage and his legs extending out onto the driveway. Police confirmed he had been shot multiple times with a shotgun.

The case had gone unsolved for years, until 2021, when Vincent Muscat, known as il-Koħħu, provided a sworn statement during a separate investigation. In his testimony, he admitted to involvement in Chircop’s murder and revealed that the Agius brothers had paid Alfred Degiorgio €20,000 to carry out the killing.

During submissions, the Attorney General insisted on the gravity of the crime. He said the €20,000 was the value placed on Chircop’s life.

Malta's gangland murders mapped out

Want to learn more about Malta's gangland wars which saw the alleged participation of today's accused? Read this fantastic piece from 2020 where former editor Matthew Vella, in collaboration with Times of Malta journalists, mapped out a litany of bomb attacks and gangland murders which peppered the 2010’s.

Court break 

Proceedings have been halted temporarily for a break, and are expected to continue soon. 

Carmel Chircop murder

Attorney General lawyer Anthony Vella speaks about the October 2015 murder of Carmel Chircop. Vella says the motive behind the killing, allegedly commissioned by the Agius brothers, is that Chircop is owed a substantial sum amounting to hundreds of thousands of euros by Adrian Agius.

Attorney General lawyer focuses on two key witnesses: Melvin Theuma and Vince Muscat

Speaking to jurors, Attorney General lawyer speaks about two key witnesses who are expected to testify in the case.

The first is convicted murderer Vince Muscat, who is serving a 15-year sentence after reaching a plea deal with prosecutors in exchange for information about the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. He also received a presidential pardon in connection with the Chircop case. The pardon requires him to testify truthfully.

Another significant witness, Melvin Theuma, is also summoned to testify. Theuma has admitted to acting as an intermediary in Caruana Galizia’s murder. He was also granted a presidential pardon.

Voluntary versus involuntary homicide

Attorney General provides the jury with a clear explanation of the difference between voluntary and involuntary homicide.

Voluntary homicide involves a deliberate act that leads to someone's death, often occurring in situations where the accused intended to kill or seriously harm the victim.

Involuntary homicide, on the other hand, refers to deaths caused without intent to kill—typically the result of negligence, recklessness, or a failure to act with due care.

Submissions not provisions

Attorney General lawyers clarifies "these are not provisions, these are submissions." His remark came as he addressed the jurors, emphasizing the distinction between legal provisions and the submissions being presented in the case. The Attorney General lawyer then confirms that he would now proceed to read the formal accusations to the jurors.

Jury timetable laid out

The Attorney General’s counsel has outlined the trial timetable for the jury.

It will begin with the prosecution’s opening statements, setting out the facts, the supporting evidence and its demand for a verdict of guilt.

Next, prosecution witnesses will be questioned by the AG’s team using only indirect questions, followed by their cross-examination. Jurors may then submit questions to the judge, who will put them to the witnesses.

In the defence phase, the accused will decide whether to testify, and the defence will present its case and any supporting evidence.

Once both sides have rested, the prosecution will deliver a reply and the defence a final rejoinder.

The judge will close by summarizing the legal elements of the indictment and guiding jurors on points of law, after, they will each assess the evidence independently before beginning deliberations.

‘The goal is justice’ – AG lawyer tells jurors

Attorney General lawyer Anthony Vella opens his address to the jurors by welcoming them and introducing the prosecution team: Godwin Cini, who will be handling the witness examinations and cross-examinations, and Danika Vella.

He explains that the Attorney General’s office is responsible for prosecuting serious crimes, and since this case involves two murders, it is being led by his office on behalf of the Republic of Malta.

Vella underlines that their goal is justice, not to unfairly pursue anyone. He reminds the jurors that their task is to decide whether the accused are guilty or not, and stresses that the charges brought forward are the result of an extensive investigation—not something done lightly.

Food too cold for Jamie Vella, chair too uncomfortable for Robert Agius

Defence lawyer Ishmael Psaila informed the court that his client told him the food provided by the Corradino Correctional Facility was cold by the time he was able to eat it. He suggested the accused be taken to the facility to eat, and then be brought back to court.

Meanwhile, lawyer Alfred Abela stated his client, Robert Agius, was complaining about the discomfort of his chair and requested it be changed. The chair was subsequently replaced.

Sitting resumes

The sitting resumes as jurors begin to walk back into the court room.

Accused arrive in court on Thursday morning

Jury breaks for lunch

Proceedings have been temporarily paused, as the jury goes on break. Proceedings will resume at 2pm. 

The murders: Carmel Chircop

Carmel Chircop, a 51-year-old lawyer and financial advisor, was gunned down in the garage of a business complex in Birkirkara. He was shot multiple times as he arrived at work in the morning. The murder initially appeared to be an isolated incident.

Chircop was involved in several complex financial arrangements and had been in dispute with certain individuals over an unpaid €750,000 loan related to a company he had invested in.

EXPLAINER | The Carmel Chircop murder and the Maksar brothers arrest

Years later, links emerged between the Chircop murder and the same group accused of killing Caruana Galizia. Vincent Muscat, in his testimony, claimed the Agius brothers and Jamie Vella were involved in both killings and that George Degiorgio acted as the getaway driver in the Chircop case. The murder is believed to have been motivated by the financial fallout from the disputed loan.

According to prosecutors, both murders are tied to the same organised crime network, whose members carried out or facilitated contract killings to eliminate threats.

The murders: Daphne Caruana Galizia

Daphne Caruana Galizia, 53, was assassinated in a car bomb attack near her home in Bidnija on 17 October 2017. The explosion occurred shortly after she left her house around 3pm, when a remotely triggered device detonated under the driver’s seat of her Peugeot 108.

Caruana Galizia was a prominent investigative journalist. Her reporting focused heavily on high-level government corruption, money laundering, links between politics and organised crime, and offshore dealings revealed in the Panama Papers.

In the months before her death, she had been investigating businessman Yorgen Fenech, owner of 17 Black — a secret Dubai company connected to energy deals involving Maltese officials.

The nature of the bomb and its remote detonation pointed to a professional and well-organised hit. The murder sparked massive national and international outrage, with the European Parliament and global press freedom groups calling for an independent investigation.

In response, the Maltese government eventually established a public inquiry, which in 2021 found that the state had “enabled the environment” in which Caruana Galizia was killed due to regulatory failures and political inaction.

Three men — brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio and their associate Vincent Muscat — were charged in connection with planting and detonating the bomb. Muscat later entered a plea deal in 2021, receiving a reduced sentence in exchange for testimony implicating other conspirators, including the Agius brothers and Jamie Vella.

George Degiorgio later admitted his role in the killing during a media interview in 2022. Investigators believe Robert and Adrian Agius supplied the explosive device, and Jamie Vella helped coordinate logistics. The suspected mastermind, Yorgen Fenech, was arrested in 2019 while attempting to flee Malta by yacht. He is still awaiting trial.

The legal teams

The prosecution is being led by lawyers Godwin Cini and Anthony Vella.

Lawyers Ishmael Psaila and Amadeus Cachia are representing Jamie Vella.

Lawyers Alfred Abela and Rene Darmanin are representing Robert Agius.

Lawyer Nicholas Mifsud is representing Adrian Agius.

Lawyers Noel Bianco and Leslie Cushieri are representing George Degiorgio.

The court registrar is now reading out the indictment against the defendants. A copy of the indictment has been given to jurors. The reading out of the charges is expected to last hours. 

Proceedings started at around 9am, and the jury has now offically been empanneled. Due to the expected length and complexity of the trial, the court has appointed six reserve jurors instead of the usual three, ensuring that the jury process can continue smoothly in the event of any unforeseen circumstances affecting its members.

The judge addressed the jury, outlining their responsibilities. She explained that determining the facts of the case is entirely up to them, while her role is to provide guidance on legal issues. She also stressed that their verdict must be based solely on the law, cautioning them not to let emotions such as sympathy, bias, or fear affect their decision.

Court reporter Jaelle Borg is inside Madam Justice Edwina Grima’s court room as proceedings are officially underway. 

Good morning, we are inside the law courts in Valletta for the first day of the trial of four men accused of the murders of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and lawyer Carmel Chircop.