Caruana Galizia public inquiry: Inspector Keith Arnaud says dates for police raid on potato shed were discussed at meetings in Castille

The public inquiry into the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia continued on Wednesday with the board hearing the testimony of lead investigator Keith Arnaud • Board also probes the manner in which DOI press cards are issued

11 March 2020, 2:21pm
by Matthew Agius

2 min read

Inspector Keith Arnaud (in white) is the lead investigator in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation

Keith Schembri and former government communications chief Kurt Farrugia were privy to the dates for the raid on the Marsa potato shed, the Caruana Galizia public inquiry heard.

The lead inspector in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation, Keith Arnaud, testified on Wednesday that he was present for two meetings at Castille.

The meetings took place in the run up to the massive police and army raid that apprehended brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio, and Vince Muscat. They were subsequently charged with planting and detonating the bomb that killed Caruana Galizia on 16 October 2017.

Arnaud told the inquiry that he had gone twice to Castille. He said that from the police-side it was him and former deputy police commissioner Silvio Valletta, who attended.

Arnaud was unsure whether Brigadier Jeffrey Curmi was also present for these meetings.

“Also in attendance were then prime minister Joseph Muscat, his chief of staff Keith Schembri, head of government communications Kurt Farrugia, and one time there was the head of Malta Security Service, Mr Bugeja,” Arnaud said.

He told the inquiry that at the meetings, they had discussed the dates for the arrests and coordinated the raid which would apprehend the three suspects.

In the first meeting, the names of the suspects were not used, Arnaud added.

“They were referred to as suspect 1, 2, 3 and so on. I'm not sure if the Prime Minister had said 'let’s not mention any names'," he said.

In court testimony, it has emerged that murder suspect Yorgen Fenech was privy to the information and asked the middleman Melvin Theuma to inform the three men.

Fenech is alleged to have got the information from Keith Schembri.

Arnaud said that neither Melvin Theuma – the middleman who was granted a pardon to tell all last year – nor businessman Yorgen Fenech had featured in the investigations until then.

He said that a meeting was held on the Thursday or Friday before the raid at the headquarters of the Security Services.

"There were many people there, apart from the task force... all were servicemen,” he said.

Arnaud said he obtained the magistrate's warrant on a Saturday and the raid took place on Monday. “There were definitely no civilians present for that last meeting,” he said, although there might have been Europol representatives.

Arnaud said of the 10 people arrested following the raid, only three were not known to the police.

Arnaud continued his testimony behind closed doors.

Earlier

The head of the Department of Information that issues press cards was the first to testify in today’s sitting of the Daphne Caruana Galizia public inquiry.

DOI Director Paul Azzopardi was asked about the system used to issue press cards to journalists.

The inquiry board is composed of retired judge Michael Mallia, former chief justice Joseph Said Pullicino and Judge Abigail Lofaro.

16:18 Thank you for following. Kurt Sansone

16:17 The next inquiry sittings are on Friday at 9:30am, Monday at 11:00am, Wednesday at 9:30am and Friday next week at 9:30am. Kurt Sansone

16:16 The inquiry is expected to continue behind closed doors for today. Kurt Sansone

15:52 Arnaud will testify as to what is currently happening in the investigation behind closed doors. The press is ordered to leave the courtroom. Kurt Sansone

15:51 He denies having any knowledge as to how the media story ended up coming out about fuel smuggling. In other testimony, the Board has heard how Keith Schembri had tried peddling the story with the media that Caruana Galizia’s murder was related to fuel smuggling. Kurt Sansone

15:49 Arnaud explains that in previous car bombings, there were two categories: those who were involved in criminality and those with ties to fuel smuggling. The investigation into fuel smuggling did not bear fruit. We didn’t dedicate extraordinary energy to it as the investigation was taking us in another direction. Kurt Sansone

15:44 After arraigning the men, there was another task force meeting, Arnaud says. “There was an investigation into whether Caruana Galizia had a link with the 10 suspects. Europol and other foreign police forces are still assisting the police to this day with the investigation,” he says. Kurt Sansone

15:40 Valletta had been discussing the matter with Castille, but Arnaud was not privy to the details. Kurt Sansone

15:40 Before the murder, Arnaud says, there was an alarming number of murders and car bombs. Soon after the Romeo Bone case [Bone was seriously injured in a car bomb in Msida], Valletta had gone to Arnaud and told him that something needed to be done. More resources were needed, Arnaud had said and new equipment was purchased and a new inspector was added to the homicide squad. Kurt Sansone

15:39 There are some details that he wants to explain behind closed doors, he adds. Kurt Sansone

15:38 The police tried at first to find a motive for the murder, but they waited to collect evidence before trying again, he says. Kurt Sansone

15:35 Mallia asks how many bombs there were, as it had been said that there was an explosion and Caruana Galizia had screamed before the car blew up. Arnaud says there was just one bomb and that the incident the judge mentions might have been in the moment between the detonator being triggered and the main charge exploding. Kurt Sansone

15:32 Board chair Michael Mallia asks whether Yorgen Fenech had been mentioned at that stage. Arnaud says Fenech’s name had not been mentioned. "There was not even an idea of Fenech’s involvement at this stage." Kurt Sansone

15:31 A brief overview of the evidence against the men had been given before the raid, he says. Kurt Sansone

15:31 In the first meeting, not even the names of the suspects were used, says Arnaud. “They were referred to as suspect 1, 2, 3 and so on. I'm not sure if the Prime Minister had said 'let’s not mention any names'." Kurt Sansone

15:30 Arnaud explains that of the 10 people arrested following the raid, only three were not known to the police. Kurt Sansone

15:29 Arnaud is asked if there was anyone who was not a member of the police, the AFM or security services present. “No, they were all servicemen,” says the inspector. The meeting took place on a Thursday or Friday, and on Saturday he obtained the magistrate's warrant and the raid took place on Monday. “There were definitely no civilians present,” he says, although there might have been Europol representatives. Kurt Sansone

15:28 Asked who was present when these meetings took place, he said on the Thursday or Friday before the arrests they had met at the Security Services offices and had chosen the dates. "There were many people there, apart from the task force..." Kurt Sansone

15:27 At this stage, Melvin Theuma did not feature in the investigation, Arnaud says. Kurt Sansone

15:27 At the meetings, they had discussed the dates for the arrests and coordinated the raid which would apprehend the three suspects. The raid happened in December 2017 on the potato shed in Marsa. Kurt Sansone

15:24 Before the arrests in December 2017, Arnaud says that he had gone twice to Castille. From the police-side it was him and Valletta. There could have been the Brigadier but Arnaud is not sure. Also in attendance were then prime minister Joseph Muscat, his chief of staff Keith Schembri, head of government communications Kurt Farrugia, and one time there was the head of Malta Security Service, Mr Bugeja. Kurt Sansone

15:21 "I never had meetings at Castille apart from those in connection with this case [Caruana Galizia murder]," Arnaud says. Deputy police commissioner Silvio Valletta had invited him to go to a briefing at Castille around the end of November, in order to assist with his hands-on knowledge of the case. Kurt Sansone

15:19 Arnaud says that the FBI had come twice in a two-month span. Europol were present and stayed here throughout the process, he adds. Kurt Sansone

15:19 Asked whether former police commissioner Lawrence Cutajar would be present, he says, "I don't think so." Kurt Sansone

15:17 “I can't say I led the investigation, as inspector Zahra coordinated his men. We ended up with a large team, some specialised in phone data. At the time, we had a new database. Up till 2017 the police didn't have a unified database, the CID had one, Drugs Squad had one, Economic Crimes had another,” Arnaud says. Kurt Sansone

15:16 They had split the work and Zahra did the majority of the fieldwork, while Arnaud liaised with international police forces and coordinating their assistance. Kurt Sansone

15:15 On the day of the Caruana Galizia murder, Kurt Zahra had been on duty, but Arnaud had called Assistant Commissioner Silvio Valletta and asked to help as Zahra had only just started working at the Homicide Squad. Kurt Sansone

15:15 Asked about the homicide squad, he says he was the only inspector when he had been appointed. Today there is Kurt Zahra and another Inspector, each with a sergeant and police constable under their command. The third inspector is James Grech, he says in response to a question from the Board. Kurt Sansone

15:13 He is asked about transfers within the police force. Arnaud says that he had never made any but had heard that it would be approved by the Commissioner. Kurt Sansone

15:13 Over the years he attended several courses, including those at the FBI academy. Kurt Sansone

15:12 He entered the police force in 1996 as a police constable and made his way up the ranks to inspector in 2008. In 2009, he was transferred to CID and in 2012 he was transferred to the homicide squad. He is the senior officer there. Kurt Sansone

15:11 Next witness is Inspector Keith Arnaud. Some of his testimony will likely be held behind closed doors. Arnaud takes the oath. Kurt Sansone

15:10 The DOI director ends his testimony and leaves the courtroom. Kurt Sansone

14:59 He is asked whether the absence of a press card would affect FOI requests. "I am not a lawyer, but as far as I know you do not need to be a journalist to make FOI requests." Kurt Sansone

14:56 Azzopardi says the DOI had never received a request from Daphne Caruana Galizia for a press card during his tenure. Kurt Sansone

14:55 This is an internal government policy, he says. "If I make a press card in Timbuktu, can I come to an event in Malta and say look I have a press card from Timbuktu?" Kurt Sansone

14:55 The access card is obligatory to enter government events, he adds. Kurt Sansone

14:54 The fact that you are not registered with the DOI doesn't mean that you are not a journalist, suggests Said Pullicino. The witness agrees. Every country has its own protocols, he explains. Kurt Sansone

14:54 For specific and very high profile events such as papal visits, there is screening of applicants by the security services and a database is created, Azzopardi explains. Kurt Sansone

14:53 "Foreign journalists in possession of an international press card must follow the protocol and register with me," he says. An international press card does not equate to a local one, he explains. Kurt Sansone

14:53 He is asked about the international press card and whether the DOI takes it into consideration. “Must the journalist register anyway?” Kurt Sansone

14:52 Azzopardi says that press calls go to all journalists registered with the DOI and are published online. Kurt Sansone

14:52 Asked whether he had ever refused an application, he says it had only happened once on the eve of an election. Kurt Sansone

14:51 It is not a problem to issue a press access card to website owners, Azzopardi says. Kurt Sansone

14:50 "The guidelines are not so clear," he admits, answering a question from Lofaro. Kurt Sansone

14:49 The authenticity of the applicant is up to the editor. Once the editor signs the application the access card is issued, Azzopardi explains. Freelance journalists with no editor can apply for a temporary access card. This is red, not yellow and is issued for a limited period. For example, if a news site employs temporary photographers for the Pope's visit, they can apply for an access card. This is valid for six months. Kurt Sansone

14:48 “Who can get one? Can I get one?” Lofaro asks. Kurt Sansone

14:47 “It is a gross misnomer,” he says. “It is an obscenity for the government to decide on who is a journalist. It is an access card for government events.” Kurt Sansone

14:30 Judge Lofaro asks about the press card. Kurt Sansone

14:30 The next step is not to issue any further press releases, but to have an FTP site or a cloud which you log into and download whatever you like, he adds. Kurt Sansone

14:29 "If a citizen saw the events of the day and a minister is going to hold a press conference, he can see where it is happening and go there," he says. The gov.mt portal has migrated the material onto Sharepoint around a year ago. Kurt Sansone

14:28 Unregistered media houses would still be able to access the information on the DOI website, or its RSS feed, in real time, adds lawyer Veronique Dalli, who is appearing for him, together with lawyer Dean Hili. Kurt Sansone

14:27 Asked whether the DOI kept a list of information on media houses, Azzopardi says, they only kept those relating to print houses. Kurt Sansone

14:26 Recently, guidelines had been issued for official communications. Press releases are sent by email and issued online concurrently, he adds. Kurt Sansone

14:26 Paul Azzopardi, director of DOI, takes the stand. He has been in the position for four years. His office is in Castille Square and vets official statements for excessive verbosity or strong language, he says. Kurt Sansone

14:25 The Shift News journalist Caroline Muscat presents the Board with a dossier of her correspondence with the DOI. Kurt Sansone

14:24 Good afternoon. Kurt Sansone

Matthew Agius is Senior Reporter on Law and Court Affairs at MaltaToday. He is also a Leg...