Beautiful Virgin Islands

Monday, Jun 30, 2025

Arrest in Panama Papers Journo Murder Doesn’t Solve Case

Arrest in Panama Papers Journo Murder Doesn’t Solve Case

The arrest of a prominent businessman whose company Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was investigating for corruption doesn’t mean the case is closed.

ROME–If Daphne Caruana Galizia, who was assassinated in October 2017, knew one thing in the days before she died, it was that she was onto something big.

The muckraking journalist who helped uncover a string of illicit Maltese businesses tied to the Panama Papers investigations, had been homing in on a number of figures close to Maltese Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, including his chief of staff Keith Schembri and tourism minister Konrad Mizzi, who both resigned last week. Malta’s economy minister Chris Cardona also stepped down, and was asked by police to provide “further clarifications” to yet unknown questions. He was reinstated as economy minister on Sunday.

But one name Caruana Galizia rarely mentioned was Yorgen Fenech, a 38-year-old businessman who was arraigned Saturday evening as an accomplice in her murder. In fact, in her hugely popular Running Commentary blog, which has been left untouched since her murder, she only wrote about Fenech once, in 2013, in connection to a new power plant on the Mediterranean island.

What she may or may not have known when she was killed was that Fenech was the secret owner of the Dubai-based company 17 Black, which was the major financier for the Panama companies Hearnville and Tillgate that she reported had links to Muscat’s associates Schembri and Mizzi.

The Times of Malta and Reuters, both part of a journalistic consortium called the Daphne Project established to follow up on the many threads Caruana Galizia was trying to unravel, eventually confirmed Fenech as the owner of 17 Black in 2018.

Fenech, who was stopped aboard his yacht by Maltese armed guards as he was heading for Italy on Nov. 20, had asked for immunity from prosecution after taxi driver Melvin Theuma fingered him. Theuma was implicated as the middleman who contracted the three men currently in jail for detonating Caruana Galizia’s car after he was arrested in an unrelated money laundering case on Nov. 14. He was offered immunity for his testimony after evidence gathered during that case tied him to both Fenech and the three men in custody.

Muscat had recommended the immunity for Theuma, who has been talking ever since, mostly offering up details about how the three men currently in custody were paid $165,000 for the killing. The accused-brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio and Vincent Muscat, who is not related to the prime minister-are awaiting trial. Ten people were arrested originally in connection with the bombing, but only three were charged.

Fenech reportedly had promised to provide details about Schembri’s involvement in exchange for his own immunity from prosecution. But Prime Minister Muscat denied the immunity, according to court documents published in various Maltese media outlets.

Muscat’s chief of staff and longtime friend Schembri, who Caruana Galizia wrote about extensively, including in her very last blog post published just two hours before she was killed, was interrogated for two days last week, but ultimately let go.


The formal arraignment of Fenech Saturday night does show progress in the case, but it does not satisfy Caruana Galizia’s family, who believe Muscat should step down because of his close ties to those now under investigation. His resignation would also block him from interfering in the ongoing murder investigation, which the family believes he has done until now.

For one thing, Prime Minister Muscat included Schembri in security breifings on the journalist’s murder despite Schembri’s own close ties to Fenech, who Muscat is reported to have known was under investigation for more than a year. Last week, a doctor was questioned for passing notes between Fenech and Schembri that are alleged to have aided in keeping their stories straight.

On Sunday, members of Malta’s ruling Labor Party, to which Muscat, Schembri, Mizzi and Cardona belong, met at the prime minister’s country retreat amid speculation they were laying out an exit plan for Muscat. For several days his resignation has been reported as imminent. The Maltese press have suggested the resignation will come Jan. 18, which is far too late for Caruana Galizia’s family, who insist he step down immediately. But after the four-hour meeting the Labor party leaders said they gave Muscat “unanimous support to all decisions which the Prime Minister will be taking.” A short time later, Muscat made a televised appearance in which he promised to resign as leader of the party on Jan. 12, and step down as prime minister “in the days after.”

The journalist’s sister Corrine Vella told reporters that while the arrest is welcomed, it’s simply not enough. “We're finally starting to see some progress in the investigation into Daphne’s murder,” she said. “It’s welcome, it’s important, but it’s very far long overdue. To us, Daphne’s death has always been linked to her work, and we've maintained all along that justice for Daphne means justice for her murder.” Vella and other family members maintain that that they would also like to see her sister’s many investigations into corruption by Malta’s top officials lead to arrests.

At Fenech’s Saturday night arraignment, where he was charged with complicity in murder, membership of a criminal organization, and an allegation related to an illegal explosion, the murdered journalist’s widower Peter sat with her sons Matthew, Andrew, and Paul sat in the courtroom a few feet away from the man who allegedly paid to have their wife and mother killed.

Her sons Matthew and Paul are both following in their mother’s journalistic footsteps. After the arraignment, Paul tweeted, “What we now expect is for the Prime Minister to leave office and Parliament, and to be properly investigated along with Keith Schembri for their possible involvement in Daphne’s assassination.”

Newsletter

Related Articles

Beautiful Virgin Islands
0:00
0:00
Close
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
Labubu Doll Drives Pop Mart to Status as China’s Most Valuable Toy Maker
Global Coal Demand Defies Paris Accord Goals
×