Castille left dumbfounded over Yorgen Fenech acquittal

Robert Abela was set to attend the inaugural grand party at DB’s new Hard Rock Hotel in St Julian’s when he was informed Yorgen Fenech walked out of court a free man on Wednesday.  

The prime minister, sources said was “stunned and shocked”. He cancelled the planned visit, and his close-knit group of advisors led by his chief of staff Mark Mallia was called.  

Castille had foreseen backlash in the scenario where Yorgen Fenech would be convicted of masterminding Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination, but never imagined the situation Malta finds itself in now.  

Yorgen Fenech, who became heir to the Tumas Group empire in 2014, had been arrested for over more than six years after caught trying to flee Malta while subject of a police investigation in relation to the journalist’s murder.  

Yorgen Fenech gives comments to journalists shortly after walking away from court as free man following his acquittal (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

Yet, despite overwhelming evidence including admission on audio tapes secretively recorded by his henchman Melvin Theuma, Fenech was not only found a jury to be not guilty of masterminding the murder, but also not even found guilty of the complicity in the murder plot.   

Abela’s top advisers brought together  

At Castille, the prime minister’s top advisors told Abela to be cautious and avoid a knee-jerk reaction.  

With the Fenech defence team set on portraying former prime minister Joseph Muscat’s chief of staff Keith Schembri as the mind behind the plot, Abela’s advisors were aware any rushed reaction would set the public’s sight on his administration.  

Abela had been legal adviser to the disgraced prime minister who resigned after the revelations his chief of staff was in cahoots with Fenech. He also sat in some Cabinet meetings.  

Before the shocking unanimous decision by jury, the idea in Abela’s inner strategy group was for him to kickstart a discussion to raise the need for more institutional reforms. But his advisers told him that they would be misconstrued if he announced them at this juncture.   

A proest was called by Opposition leader Alex Borg shortly after Fenech's acquittal (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

“There was and is too much noise, and any message would be lost in the clutter,” a close aide told MaltaToday. 

Previously his advisers had warned him the conviction of Yorgen Fenech would be the best scenario but not the end to an assault on government. They had warned the prime minister it would naturally embolden the Opposition and the so-called “Daphne lobby” to continue hitting out at government.   

But the acquittal led to unprecedented circumstances and presented Abela with his biggest challenge ever. This was a nightmare come true and everyone in his close-knit group knew that there was little room for manoeuvre. 

Ministers brace for impact  

Senior ministers who spoke with MaltaToday said government’s image had already taken a hit with pro-longed power cuts during summer heatwaves.  

“We were already facing accusations of being slow, lethargic and indifferent, this will put more pressure on us,” a cabinet member told this newspaper.  

Another minister said government can do little right now to address the anger.  

Protestors gathered outside Castille after Yorgen Fenech was acquitted of masterminding the Daphne Caruana Galizia assassination (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

“The prosecution of Fenech was not in our hands, we had no say in it. On the contrary, the prosecution and police were very much in the synch with the Caruana Galizia family and their lawyers. But the defence managed to sow doubt. We have a problem and that is how to detach ourselves completely from Keith Schembri. That will not be easy, he was effectively the Labour government from 2013 until 2019,” another minister said.  

Problems, some ministers feel, are compounded by rising global fuel prices.  

“I cannot see how we can put a lid on this. We have a difficult fiscal year in front of us with rising fuel prices and a very serious international crisis. This acquittal is going to take up our time and we are not going to be able to talk about other things,” they said.  

Castille is hoping blunders by Opposition leader Alex Borg could help in giving government some breathing space on the issue. Just hours after the acquittal Borg raced to accuse Labour administrations in having a hand in planning the murder.  

During the 2026 general election campaign, Borg did not once refer to the murder of Caruana Galizia or refer to corruption scandals. This was intentional, aiming to embrace the vote of individuals who had grown tired of the Nationalist Party’s campaigning on rule-of-law and corruption.  

Opposition leader Alex Borg fields question from the media shortly after calling a demonstration over the jury verdict (Photo: James Bianchi/MaltaToday)

But this time, the whole episode may merit a change in tactics. The acquittal has rocked the whole country and opens an opportunity for the Nationalist Party to strike at Abela and accuse him of being complicit in a cover up.  

Sources are in agreement the way both sides of the political aisle will react to the shock acquittal will determine their futures.