Judge raps Yorgen Fenech's lawyers for wasting time as constitutional court sitting lasts a few minutes

10:14 This very brief session concludes today's court sitting Massimo Costa

10:13 Assistant AG Victoria Buttigieg says she was not prepared for cross-examination as she was not expecting it to happen today. In light of this, the case has been put off to 17 December for cross-examination and evidence Massimo Costa

10:11 Lawyer Marion Camilleri tells the court that she has no more evidence to present today. The court subsequently admonishes her for wasting the time of the court, the security providers and the press. The court gives her one day to inform it of any other witnesses Massimo Costa

10:10 A Jobsplus representative is the first to take the witness stand. He presents documentation relating to a woman whose name is banned from publication Massimo Costa

10:06 Judge Lawrence Mintoff, who is presiding over the case, has also entered the courtroom. Lawyers Victoria Buttigieg and Maurizio Cordina are representing the Attorney General. Lawyers Marion Camilleri and Gianluca Caruana Curran are appearing for Yorgen Fenech Massimo Costa

10:04 Fenech has been led into the courtroom amidst tight security provided by heavily armed Corradino Correction Facility guards, led by prisons director Alex Dalli Massimo Costa

09:50 Good morning. Yorgen Fenech - the man accused of having masterminded the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia - is back in court this morning. The court sitting today has to do with the constitutional case he filed in November to have the lead investigator in the Caruana Galizia murder, Inspector Keith Arnaud, removed from the case. Massimo Costa

These are the most salient points which came to light during last week's sitting of Yorgen Fenech’s constitutional case:

• Yorgen Fenech described his relationship with Keith Schembri as fraternal, dating back to their childhood
• Fenech said Schembri had informed him continuously on the progress of investigations into Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder, including tipping him off before the police potato shed raid which led to arrests of Alfred and George Degiorgio and Vince Muscat
• The information, Fenech said, would be given to Schembri by lead investigator Keith Arnaud
• Arnaud and Schembri had such a close relationship that Schembri had helped find a government job for his wife, Fenech alleged

A court hearing of a constitutional case Yorgen Fenech had filed, to have the lead investigator in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder removed, lasted only a few minutes today.

Today's court session, which was the second hearing of the case following last week's sitting, saw Fenech's defence laywer call a Jobsplus representative to the stand, who presented documentation relating to a woman whose name is banned from publication.

The defence had no more evidence to present, earning it an admonition from the court for wasting its time.

The case has been put off to 17 December.

Earlier

Yorgen Fenech arrived in court, amid tight security, for the second sitting of a constitutional case he had filed to have the lead investigator in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder removed.

Fenech, who stands charged with having masterminded the journalist’s assassination, filed the constitutional case late last month, after he was arrested by the police in connection with the murder.

His legal bid seeks to remove inspector Keith Arnaud from the murder investigation, arguing that Arnaud has a close relationship with the Prime Minister’s former chief of staff Keith Schembri.

In the first court sitting of the constitutional case, which was held last week, Fenech said Schembri had been getting information from Arnaud on progress in the case.

Fenech claims that Schembri kept him informed of all progress in the murder investigation, including giving sensitive information such as that his (Fenech's) phone was being tapped.

His claims have been dismissed by the police, who insisted Arnaud’s work had led to significant results in the investigations which had also involved Europol.