Caruana Galizia and Chircop murders: George Degiorgio bought the Maya but boat ownership was on his brother Alfred

The compilation of evidence against brothers Adrian and Robert Agius, known as Tal-Maksar, and their associates Jamie Vella and George Degiorgio continues with the court hearing witnesses linked to the Caruana Galizia murder

12 May 2021, 8:50am
by Matthew Agius

2 min read

George Degiorgio paid €30,000 to buy the boat (in picture) but ownership was transferred to his brother Alfred

George Degiorgio had bought the boat from which he detonated the bomb that killed Daphne Caruana Galizia for €30,000 in February 2017, the court heard today.

The boat, Maya, was put up for sale by its previous owner, who was called in to testify in the compilation of evidence against Degiorgio, brothers Adrian and Robert Agius, and their associate Jamie Vella.

The court heard that George paid for the sale but the transfer of the boat’s ownership was made on his brother, Alfred Degiorgio.

In this case, the four accused are facing charges of being involved in the murders of Daphne Caruana Galizia and lawyer Carmel Chircop.

George Degiorgio is facing separate proceedings for his involvement in the Caruana Galizia assassination but is part of this case for his alleged involvement in the Chircop murder.

The Agius brothers, known as Tal-Maksar, and Vella are accused of supplying the bomb that killed Caruana Galizia and of murdering Chircop.

The prosecution continued bringing forward witnesses in relation to the Caruana Galizia murder today.

The court heard the shocking testimony of Bidnija resident Francis Sant, who witnessed Caruana Galizia’s death. Sant has already testified in separate proceedings about what he saw on the day.

On 16 October 2017, Sant had been driving from Tarġa Gap to Bidnija and was almost at the top of the hill, when he noticed a small white car coming opposite his direction. The driver appeared in a panic, he told the court.

“She stopped a few metres away. It all took a few second… There was like a spark and about two seconds later an explosion that wrecked the car… I heard screaming, screaming. I was later told it was Mrs Caruana Galizia. The burning car passed a few metres in front of me and crashed into a field. There was a lot of fire,” he recounted in court.

Sant added that he saw Caruana Galizia's son arrive and run, “almost into the flames”. “He couldn't speak, I asked him if he knew whose it was,” Sant said.

Officers from the Civil Protection who were called on site also testified on what they saw at the scene of the crime.

Magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo is presiding.

11:06 That's it for today. Thank you for following. A summary will appear shortly. Kurt Sansone

11:04 The sitting is over and the next session will be held on 17 May. Kurt Sansone

11:04 Lawyers Jason Azzopardi and Vincent Galea, appearing parte civile for the Caruana Galizia and Chircop families respectively, associate themselves with the AG’s note. Kurt Sansone

10:57 With regards to the murder of Carmel Chircop, the note for the close of the inquiry was tabled in the last week of April this year. “The AG informs the court that this inquiry has not been given to the AG to date and therefore at this stage the AG is not in a position to send back the inquiry in question according to law to be exhibited,” Camilleri says. Kurt Sansone

10:56 Camilleri addresses the court. He refers to the points raised in today's sitting and preceding ones, on the evidence already preserved in the inquiry. The prosecution says it was formally notified that the inqiury in question was reassigned to a new magistrate on 5 May this year. This happened because the previous inquiring magistrate was promoted to judge. “The prosecution humbly informs this court and the parties that the note of the close of this inquiry was tabled by the Commissioner of Police immediately after the reassignment of this inquiry to a new magistrate on 6 May this year. In this regard the AG informs this court and the parties that this inquiry has not yet been sent back to the AG according to law and to this date.. Therefore, the AG is not in a position to send back the acts to be exhibited,” he says. Kurt Sansone

10:54 Vella was the last witness for today, AG lawyer George Camilleri says. Kurt Sansone

10:53 The witness says that as he was going to leave, he was accosted by a young man who was talking in English. “He said ‘you were taking pictures of my mum’,” Vella recounts of his encounter with Matthew Caruana Galizia. The witness says he handed his mobile phone to a policeman, who showed the man there was nothing of the sort on the phone. He recounts how Matthew snatched the phone from Vella's hands and smashed it on the ground. “I understand that he was going through a lot,” Vella says. Kurt Sansone

10:48 Another witness, Mario Vella, takes the stand next. He lives in Bidnija. “On the day of the incident I was in Mosta. It was a Monday. I was at an ironmongery and called my daughter who told me there was an explosion. She told me she saw smoke from near our farmhouse. I went and saw two policemen trying to put out the fire. I met Frans Sant and he said that there were people in the car. I looked and saw human remains scattered around,” Vella says. Kurt Sansone

10:47 The next witness is Alexander Fenech from Birkirkara. He is a director of Percius. “The car was a Peugeot 108. Brand new. We bought it for her,” he says. Kurt Sansone

10:47 Fenech had been spoken to by the police about Daphne's car, which had been rented from Percius. The car which was blown up had only been in Caruana Galizia's possession for three months. It had been bought for her as part of a contract. Before it, there was another similar car, which was second hand. Kurt Sansone

10:38 The next witness is Mario Fenech from Attard. He is a manager at Percius Car Hire. Kurt Sansone

10:37 She was spoken to by the police a few days after the murder. The car was a rental and had a number plate ending in QZ, she says. “It was definitely white. I think it was a Peugeot, one of the small ones... the car was empty, there was nobody in it.” Kurt Sansone

10:34 Sammut Grech says she would see the car in various spots in the area and thought to herself, ‘what are they doing here?’. Kurt Sansone

10:33 She lives on Victoria Lines overlooking Bidnija valley. She had seen a suspicious looking car, a small white Peugeot in the area for several weeks before the explosion. But afterwards she never saw it again, she tells the court. Kurt Sansone

10:32 Witness Maria Milfred Sammut Grech from Mosta is administered the oath. Kurt Sansone

10:29 The sitting resumes. Kurt Sansone

10:02 The court calls for a 15-mintue break. The sitting is suspended. Kurt Sansone

10:02 The car was a rental, he recalls. Kurt Sansone

09:58 Sammut: “It was just seconds and happened over two years ago. I thought it was a foreigner.” Kurt Sansone

09:57 Sammut describes seeing a suspicious car before the explosion. “I sometimes saw it near the quarry and sometimes in front of my gate,” he says. However, he could not describe the persons inside the car. Kurt Sansone

09:56 Inspector Wayne Camilleri asks him what he had been questioned about by the police. Kurt Sansone

09:55 Wallace Sammut from Mosta testifies now. Kurt Sansone

09:54 Asked if he had spoken to anyone else, Sant says that many journalists had asked him for his account. Kurt Sansone

09:53 Sant later spoke to the police and gave his account of what happened. Kurt Sansone

09:53 Sant tells the court that he saw Caruana Galizia's son arrive and run, “almost into the flames”. “He couldn't speak, I asked him if he knew whose it was,” Sant says. Kurt Sansone

09:49 “I heard screaming, screaming. I was later told it was Mrs Caruana Galizia. The burning car passed a few metres in front of me and crashed into a field. There was a lot of fire,” he says. Kurt Sansone

09:48 On 16 October, Sant had been driving from Tarġa Gap to Bidnija. As he was almost at the top of the hill, he noticed a small white car coming opposite his direction. The driver appeared in a panic, he says. “She stopped a few metres away. It all took a few second… There was like a spark and about two seconds later an explosion that wrecked the car,” Sant recounts. Kurt Sansone

09:47 Bidnija resident Francis Sant takes the stand next. He has already testified in separate proceedings against Yorgen Fenech and the Degiorgio brothers. Kurt Sansone

09:44 Defence lawyer William Cuschieri says George Degiorgio is considering requesting a constitutional reference on this issue. There will not be justice within a reasonable time and prejudicial pretrial publicity, he says. “I cannot understand why the two unrelated cases are joined,” he says. The two defence lawyers make it clear that they are not personally criticising AG lawyer Camilleri. Kurt Sansone

09:36 The magistrate says that she cannot do much if the Attorney General wants to bring forward evidence. Kurt Sansone

09:36 Lawyer George Camilleri from the AG asks if there was an explanation why the ownership was done on Alfred’s name. However, defence lawyer Alfred Abela objects. The questions are irrelevant to this case, he says. Abela asks the prosecution to hurry up and get to the jury so they can prove their innocence. Kurt Sansone

09:31 Formosa testifies that the transfer of ownership was on Alfred Degiorgio's name, although George had paid for it. Kurt Sansone

09:30 Formosa had the boat for eight years but had then sold it to George Degiorgio. The boat had ‘For Sale’ written on it and Degiorgio had called him to see it in February 2017. The boat was sold for €30,000. Kurt Sansone

09:29 The next witness is Ivan Formosa, the former owner of the Maya, the boat from which George Degiorgio sent the killer SMS that detonated the bomb. Kurt Sansone

09:28 He arrived after the police closed the road. It was clear that there was nothing that could be done for the person inside the car, he says. He had helped put out the fire and secured the area. Kurt Sansone

09:22 Frederick Sammut from CPD takes the stand next. Kurt Sansone

09:17 The court will continue to hear witnesses. Kurt Sansone

09:16 Lawyer Alfred Abela objects to having to hear such witnesses. “They are already preserved in the acts of the inquiry and I am ready to exempt them from having to testify,” he says. The lawyer dictates a note. He submits that under Article 550 of the Criminal Code, the witnesses who have already testified in the magisterial inquiry do not need to be heard before this court, except where cross-examination is required. Kurt Sansone

09:12 He is almost reluctant to describe the scene. “I remember there was a body part some way up from the car...” he says, eventually. The car was clearly blown up, he says. There was some evidence and debris which indicated where the explosion happened, adds the witness. Kurt Sansone

09:07 Civil Protection Department representative Massimo Cassar takes the stand. He was a fireman based in Xemxija in 2017. Kurt Sansone

09:02 Another police officer from the Mosta police station now takes the stand and gives his account of how he was called out to the scene and what he had found. He saw three small fires. He gives similar details on the grisly scene as the previous witness. Kurt Sansone

08:58 The incident he refers to is the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia that happened on 16 October 2017. Grech describes the scene when he arrived. He found the station officer already there. “On my way in, there were already some body parts,” he tells the court. There was a trail of debris and burnt flesh leading to the car's final resting position, he recounts. Kurt Sansone

08:56 The first witness is Arthur Grech, from the fire service. He says he had received a call about an explosion in a car which was now on fire. The vehicle was in the middle of a field in Bidnija, he says. Kurt Sansone

08:55 A court transcriber presents her report and returns the audio CDs. Kurt Sansone

08:54 Magistrate Caroline Farrugia Frendo has entered the courtroom and the sitting starts. Kurt Sansone

08:52 Good morning. Kurt Sansone

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