Outrage as Maltese tycoon acquitted in journalist's murder

A Maltese businessman named Yorgen Fenech was acquitted on Wednesday of charges that he ordered the murder of a journalist. Fenech left the courthouse in Valletta surrounded by his security guards, as he faced angry protesters outside after the jury's decision. His son, Matthew Caruana Galizia, criticized the verdict, calling it obscene and saying it flies in the face of all evidence.

In October 2017, journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed by a bomb placed under the driver's seat of her car. While those who placed the bomb and detonated it have already been convicted, the person who contracted them to do it has not been legally identified. Fenech was arrested in November 2019 and spent over five years in detention before being released on bail in 2025.

The prosecution's case relied on the testimony of Melvin Theuma, who confessed to being the middleman and said Fenech had contracted him to organize the murder. However, Fenech's defense questioned Theuma's credibility, highlighting contradictions in his testimony. The murder victim's family believes institutional failures facilitated the crime and have called for necessary reforms, particularly regarding press freedom.

Since the murder, Malta has made progress with some specific protection measures for journalists, but core recommendations from the investigation into Caruana Galizia's murder remain unfulfilled. The European Commission has acknowledged limited progress in Malta. The case has also highlighted the slow pace of Malta's justice system, with many homicide cases remaining unresolved for years.