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Yorgen Fenech acquitted of masterminding the 2017 car-bomb killing of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia

A Maltese court has acquitted Yorgen Fenech of orchestrating the 2017 car-bomb assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The jury reached an 8-1 decision, clearing the businessman of charges of complicity and criminal association. Fenech, who had been accused of ordering the murder to prevent further revelations about his business interests, maintained his innocence throughout the trial. Caruana Galizia was a prominent critic of the government who exposed corruption and money laundering. Her death sparked mass protests and led to the resignation of then-prime minister Joseph Muscat in 2020. While Fenech was cleared, several other individuals have been convicted. Brothers George Degiorgio and Alfred Degiorgio were sentenced to 40 years in prison for carrying out the slaying, while Vincent Muscat received a 15-year sentence. In 2025, Robert Agius and Jamie Vella were sentenced to life in prison for supplying the bomb. Caruana Galia's family expressed disappointment with the verdict, stating that the acquittal denies her the justice she deserves. The opposition Nationalist Party called for continued accountability regarding who ordered the assassination.

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