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Casino Tycoon Yorgen Fenech Acquitted of Daphne Caruana Galizia Car-Bomb Murder

By jili tutorial · September 5, 2026

Casino Tycoon Yorgen Fenech Acquitted of Daphne Caruana Galizia Car-Bomb Murder

Verdict Shocks Courtroom in Valletta

Maltese casino mogul Yorgen Fenech was dramatically acquitted on Wednesday (September 3) of involvement in the murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. A jury in Valletta, Malta’s capital, found Fenech not guilty by an eight-to-one majority on charges of complicity in murder and criminal association. The verdict drew gasps from the courtroom gallery and cheers from Fenech’s relatives, according to The Guardian.

Fenech, one of Malta’s wealthiest businessmen, had been accused of masterminding the car-bomb assassination that killed Caruana Galizia in October 2017. The case drew international attention and sparked widespread protests.

The Alleged Murder Plot: A €150,000 Payout

Prosecutors argued that Fenech ordered the killing because he feared Caruana Galizia was about to expose corruption linked to a $500 million government energy contract awarded to Electrogas, a company in which he held a major stake. They claimed Fenech paid €150,000 (US$177,000) through middleman Melvin Theuma, who admitted relaying instructions to brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio and their associate Vince Muscat.

The Degiorgio brothers were each sentenced to 40 years in prison for planting the bomb, concealed inside a child’s shoebox beneath the driver’s seat of Caruana Galizia’s Peugeot 108. Muscat, who cooperated with investigators, received a 15-year sentence. In June 2025, two other men convicted of supplying the bomb were given life sentences.

Theuma was arrested in November 2019 and later offered a presidential pardon in exchange for his testimony. The day after his arrest, Fenech was intercepted while reportedly trying to flee Malta on his yacht.

The 17 Black Connection and Unfinished Investigation

Caruana Galizia’s reporting had uncovered evidence that a Dubai-registered company, 17 Black, was expected to transfer $2 million to two offshore companies owned by Keith Schembri, then-chief of staff to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, and Konrad Mizzi, Malta’s former energy minister. Caruana Galizia was killed before she could reveal that Fenech owned 17 Black. The link was later uncovered by an international consortium of investigative journalists who continued her work after her death.

Defense Blames Others; Prosecutors Vow to Appeal

Fenech’s lawyers argued that Schembri, not their client, ordered the killing. They claimed Theuma was a liar and blackmailer who accused Fenech to save himself. Schembri has not been charged with the crime and was not considered a suspect by investigators.

Prosecutors have said they will appeal the verdict.

Political Fallout: Government Collapse and Family Statement

Fenech’s arrest sparked mass demonstrations against corruption in Malta and the perceived immunity enjoyed by political and business elites, leading to the collapse of the Muscat government.

In a statement, Caruana Galizia’s family said the verdict denied her the “justice she deserves.” They added: “Nine years after Daphne’s brutal assassination, the institutional failures that enabled her murder remain unaddressed and unreformed. Lasting justice means no person should ever face the same risks again. Our country failed to protect Daphne. It owes it to her to prevent other lives being lost.”