The conclusion of the longest-running murder trial in Maltese history has left a country in turmoil, and a grieving family still searching for answers. At 7.30pm on Wednesday, gasps and cheers echoed around hall 22 of the courts of justice in Valletta, as a jury pronounced a businessman accused of ordering the murder of the investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia not guilty. Yorgen Fenech, 44, had been facing a life sentence if convicted.
Now, after nearly seven years in and out of custody, he is free to return to a gilded life as the heir to one of Malta’s biggest fortunes. In her reporting, Caruana Galizia had taken aim at many powerful figures, including Fenech and the politicians he was close to. Her revelations, and the fallout from her violent death in a car bombing in October 2017, had ultimately led to the resignation of the prime minister, Joseph Muscat, and several members of his government.
Within weeks, three hitmen accused of planting the bomb were arrested. Two were sentenced to life in prison after pleading guilty to murder, while the third was given a reduced 15-year sentence in exchange for evidence against his accomplices. After Wednesday’s decision, the long search for whoever was responsible for hiring them must begin again.
The opposition leader, Alex Borg, has demanded the recall of parliament from its summer recess, and called for the government to act to strengthen press protection and anti-corruption measures. The party has been in power since 2013. Caruana Galizia’s family described the verdict as “justice denied”.
The attorney general is considering whether to appeal for a retrial. The chances of success may be slim: Both charges brought against Fenech were dismissed by an 8-1 majority. It had taken nine years, a relentless family campaign and a determined judge to bring Fenech before a jury.
In the end, they took him at his word. During his evidence, he was adamant: “I never ordered Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder, or anyone else’s. I had no role in her murder.” While the identity of the mastermind remains a mystery, what the trial did reveal was the full extent of the challenges faced by those leading the search for Daphne’s killers.
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