Maltese tycoon Yorgen Fenech acquitted by jury in 2017 murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia
A Maltese jury acquitted businessman Yorgen Fenech of complicity in the 2017 car bomb murder of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, voting eight-to-one that he could not be proven guilty. Fenech was accused of paying €150,000 via a middleman for the killing. The verdict, which prosecutors are expected to appeal, ends one of Malta's longest murder trials and leaves the question of who ordered the attack unresolved.
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Malta businessman acquitted in murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia
On September 3, 2026, a Maltese jury acquitted prominent businessman Yorgen Fenech of all charges related to the 2017 car bomb murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The jury voted eight to one that Fenech could not be proven guilty of aiding and abetting murder or criminal conspiracy. Fenech, arrested in 2019 while attempting to flee Malta on a yacht, was considered the mastermind behind the attack. Two men who procured explosives were sentenced to life in 2025, and the brothers who carried out the bombing pleaded guilty in 2022, receiving 40-year sentences. Galizia had been investigating Fenech's company '17 Black' and its alleged role in bribing government officials, including then-Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi and Prime Minister's Chief of Staff Keith Schembri, in connection with a gas power plant concession. The scandal led to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat's resignation in 2020. The Galizia family condemned the verdict, stating it denied them justice and that institutional failures enabling the murder remain unaddressed. The case also spurred the EU Parliament to adopt a directive against SLAPP lawsuits in 2024.
Maltese businessman acquitted in 2017 murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia
On September 3, 2026, a Maltese jury acquitted Yorgen Fenech, the main suspect in the 2017 car bomb murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The jury voted eight to one that Fenech could not be proven guilty of aiding and abetting murder or criminal conspiracy. Fenech, a prominent businessman, was arrested in 2019 while attempting to leave Malta on a yacht. The Caruana Galizia family condemned the verdict, stating it denied them justice. Prior to her death, Caruana Galizia had investigated Fenech's company '17 Black' and its alleged bribery of Maltese officials Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri, linked to the Panama Papers. Two men were sentenced to life in 2025 for procuring explosives, and two brothers pleaded guilty in 2022 to carrying out the murder, receiving 40-year sentences. A key witness testified he received €150,000 from Fenech to pay the hitmen. The family stated that institutional failures enabling the murder remain unaddressed nine years later.
Malta jury acquits businessman in killing of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia
A jury in Malta has acquitted a prominent businessman of orchestrating the 2017 murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The verdict, reported by multiple major news outlets including NPR, AP News, BBC, Financial Times, and The Guardian, marks a significant development in a case that has drawn international attention to corruption and press freedom in Malta. Caruana Galizia, a well-known anti-corruption blogger and journalist, was killed by a car bomb near her home. The acquitted businessman had been accused of being the mastermind behind the murder plot. The decision has sparked reactions from press freedom advocates and the journalist's family, who have expressed disappointment and concern over the outcome of the trial.
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Malta jury acquits businessman in killing of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia
A jury in Malta has acquitted a prominent businessman of orchestrating the 2017 murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The verdict, reported by multiple major news outlets including NPR, AP News, Reuters, BBC, and the Financial Times, marks a significant development in a case that has drawn international attention to corruption and rule of law in Malta. Caruana Galizia, a well-known anti-corruption blogger and journalist, was killed by a car bomb near her home. The acquitted businessman had been accused of being the mastermind behind the murder. The trial and its outcome have been closely watched by press freedom advocates and the European Union, as the case has been emblematic of challenges facing investigative journalism and accountability in Malta.
Businessman Yorgen Fenech acquitted in murder of Maltese journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia
Nearly nine years after the car bomb murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in Malta, businessman Yorgen Fenech has been acquitted of being the mastermind behind the killing. A jury in Valletta cleared the 44-year-old entrepreneur of both complicity in murder and criminal conspiracy charges. The verdict ends one of the longest murder trials in Malta's history and marks an unexpected turn in the most spectacular murder case in the small EU state. Caruana Galizia, 53, was blown up in her car near her home on October 16, 2017. She was renowned for investigating corruption in politics and business. Fenech had close ties to the then-government of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, who resigned in 2020 amid the murder case and corruption allegations. Three contract killers had previously pleaded guilty and are serving prison sentences of 15 to 40 years. Two other men convicted for supplying the bomb received life sentences. The question of who was behind the attack remains unresolved.
Maltese tycoon Yorgen Fenech found not guilty in journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia murder
Yorgen Fenech, one of Malta's richest men, has been found not guilty by a jury of complicity in the 2017 murder of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The verdict, reached by an eight-to-one majority, is expected to be appealed by prosecutors. Fenech was accused of paying €150,000 via a middleman to have the journalist killed. The murder triggered a major political scandal in Malta, leading to the resignation of then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, two ministers, and his chief of staff. During the two-month trial, Fenech claimed he was merely a messenger between Muscat's former chief of staff, Keith Schembri, and the middleman. Schembri denied any involvement. The case has been a landmark for press freedom activism in Europe.