Maltese businessman Yorgen Fenech goes on trial over Daphne Caruana Galizia murder

A Maltese businessman has gone on trial in Valletta over the 2017 car bomb assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Yorgen Fenech, 44, is accused of complicity in her murder and has denied all charges. The case began on Wednesday in Malta's capital, with a jury sworn in for the high-profile proceedings.

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Fenech faces charges of complicity in voluntary homicide and criminal association with the intention of committing murder. It was not immediately clear whether he made any statement in court when the trial opened. Caruana Galizia's family members, including three sons, were present in the building to witness the start of the hearing.

The trial is expected to last several weeks. The case is one of the most closely watched criminal proceedings in Malta in recent years because of Caruana Galizia's prominence and the scale of public anger after her killing. She was a prominent investigative journalist who had exposed networks of corruption in Malta and abroad.

Her death shocked the country and drew attention well beyond its borders. The trial follows earlier convictions linked to the killing. In 2022, brothers George and Alfred Degiorgio were jailed for 40 years for the murder.

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In 2025, Robert Agius and Jamie Vella were jailed for life for supplying the bomb, while Vincent Muscat secured a pardon in exchange for testimony. Those outcomes mean the latest case is part of a wider legal process that has unfolded over several years. Caruana Galizia's work made her a central figure in Malta's corruption debate, and her killing remains a major test of the country's justice system.

The proceedings against Fenech also carry significance because they concern alleged complicity at a senior level rather than the direct carrying out of the attack. That gives the trial wider importance for public confidence in accountability and the handling of politically sensitive crime. What remains unclear is how long the trial will take to complete and what evidence will be heard in the coming sessions.

It is also not yet known whether Fenech will give evidence or make further statements in court. The case is expected to continue over the next several weeks, with close attention on any new testimony or legal developments.

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