Yorgen Fenech wants Joseph Muscat, Keith Schembri to testify in his murder trial

Yorgen Fenech’s defence team will be summoning former prime minister Joseph Muscat and his chief of staff Keith Schembri as witnesses in his murder trial.

Fenech is pleading not guilty to complicity in the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was killed in a car bombing in 2017.

Muscat is summoned by the defence to testify about the pardon given to the self-confessed middleman in the murder, Melvin Theuma, as well as other issues related to the case. Theuma was pardoned in return for information about the murder in November 2019.

Secretly recorded conversations that Theuma made between himself, Fenech and others, have provided crucial evidence in the case.

Schembri’s name was mentioned by Fenech to the police after his request for a pardon was rejected by Cabinet. Fenech implicated the former OPM chief of staff as the mastermind behind a letter implicating former economy minister Chris Cardona in the Caruana Galizia murder.

Cardona, who was later mentioned in court as the mastermind behind an aborted attempt to kill Caruana Galizia in 2015, is also expected to be summoned to the witness stand by the defence. Cardona has denied the claims.

Former deputy police commissioner Silvio Valletta is also expected to be summoned to testify. Valletta maintained a friendly relationship with Fenech at a time when he was being investigated over the murder.

The bill of indictment against Fenech was filed last month, bringing an end to the compilation of evidence. However, the compilation can reopen if new evidence emerges.