Maltese businessman Yorgen Fenech acquitted over Daphne Caruana Galizia bombing
A jury in Malta has acquitted businessman Yorgen Fenech of masterminding the 2017 car bombing that killed investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Fenech, one of the country's wealthiest men, had been accused of ordering and funding the murder, but was found not guilty of complicity and criminal conspiracy in an 8-1 verdict on Wednesday. The killing had shocked Europe, triggered mass protests that brought down a prime minister, and exposed deep-rooted impunity within Maltese institutions, making the trial's outcome a significant moment for accountability in the case.
Caruana Galizia, 53, died when a bomb detonated in her car near her home on 16 October 2017, after years spent reporting on alleged corruption linked to figures around then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, including offshore holdings exposed by the Panama Papers. Fenech, tied to a contested government power station contract, was arrested in 2019 while attempting to leave Malta by yacht, sparking unrest that led to Muscat's resignation; he was the last of roughly six people charged over the plot to face trial. His lawyer said the verdict reflected jurors' doubts about a key witness who received a presidential pardon for testifying, while Caruana Galizia's family said the ruling denied her "the justice she deserves" and called for institutional reform, as opposition supporters staged a protest march outside parliament.
In short
- Yorgen Fenech acquitted of masterminding journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia's 2017 murder
- Jury voted 8-1 not guilty on complicity and conspiracy charges
- Caruana Galizia's family and protesters say justice has been denied
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The acquittal reflects the principle that a person must be convicted only when the evidence proves guilt beyond reasonable doubt. Jurors may reasonably have doubted the reliability of a key witness who received a presidential pardon, and a serious accusation cannot substitute for proof that Fenech ordered or funded the murder.
The case against
The family and other critics can argue that the verdict leaves grave questions about who commissioned the killing unanswered, despite the case’s importance to public accountability. They may see the reliance on a pardoned witness, alongside concerns about institutional impunity, as a reason for further scrutiny and reform so that those responsible can be brought to justice.
Explained simply
Daphne Caruana Galizia was a Maltese investigative journalist who reported on alleged corruption involving people close to the government led by Joseph Muscat. In 2017, she was killed by a bomb placed in her car near her home.
Yorgen Fenech is a wealthy Maltese businessman linked to a controversial government power station deal. Several people have been charged over the killing; his case concerned whether he helped plan and finance the murder. The case drew wide attention to Malta’s political institutions and the challenges of holding powerful figures accountable.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “One of Malta’s richest men is cleared of masterminding the car bombing of an investigative journalist”.