The presidential pardon granted to Melvin Theuma, the confessed middleman in the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, will remain undisclosed despite its serious implications for various ongoing court proceedings and high-level crimes committed over the years.
The Office of President Myriam Spiteri Debono has cited “documents related to judicial criminal proceedings” as the reason for denying The Shift’s Freedom of Information (FOI) request for a copy of the pardon.
Legal experts have raised questions about the validity of the refusal, arguing that it lacks legal grounds.
In the past, similar pardons have been made public, including a high-profile pardon given to Joseph Fenech, known as Żeppi l-Ħafi, in 1996, which was connected to the plot to assassinate Richard Cachia Caruana, then the personal assistant of prime minister Eddie Fenech Adami.
The Shift has requested a reconsideration under the FOI Act following a recent development in court.
Despite being granted immunity, Melvin Theuma declined to testify in a case involving Keith Schembri, the disgraced former chief of staff to prime minister Joseph Muscat. Schembri and others are accused of providing Theuma with a fictitious government job.
In court, Theuma said he did not want to incriminate himself. Yet the pardon is meant to provide him immunity.
However, Magistrate Monica Vella, a former Labour mayor, opted to remove Theuma’s previous testimony from the case file instead of ordering him to be cross-examined or held accountable.
This action raises the likelihood that criminal charges against Schembri, Rabat Labour Mayor Sandro Craus, and their associates may be dropped.
Questions regarding the content of the pardon
Research by The Shift indicates that the pardon issued by the government in 2019 has not been fully presented in court.
In 2023, Theuma’s lawyer, Matthew Brincat, informed the court that only a redacted version of the pardon had been presented in cases involving his client, citing sensitive information related to other crimes that could affect ongoing investigations if disclosed in full.
Legal sources suggest that this ‘anomaly’ complicates the court’s proceedings, as it limits their understanding of whether Theuma has also been pardoned for certain crimes on which he is required to testify.
Media reports indicate that Theuma has received a pardon for all his past crimes not connected to the Daphne Caruana Galizia assassination, with four specific crimes mentioned publicly.
The first crime involves his long-standing participation in the illegal lotto industry. Reports indicate that approximately €2 million in cash was discovered at his home during a police search, with Theuma admitting that the money was from an illegal lotto operation he ran. He allegedly laundered these proceeds through real estate purchases.
To date, law enforcement authorities have not pursued legal action against him or his accomplices, and it remains unclear whether the funds found were confiscated. His operation has reportedly been transferred to another illegal lotto operator from Żejtun, who also has not faced prosecution despite investigations.
Reports have also mentioned that Theuma’s pardon covers his involvement in two significant robberies: a 2007 heist at an HSBC branch in Balzan and another attempted robbery at the HSBC headquarters in Qormi.
According to a report by MaltaToday, Theuma was also granted immunity for a 2007 robbery at the Casino di Venezia, where €500,000 was stolen, with implications that he sheltered the perpetrators in several of his properties.
These claims could not be independently verified, as the essential details of the pardon remain classified. In 2022, the Nationalist Party (PN) had called for the full text of Theuma’s pardon to be published in the interest of justice, but the government and the Attorney General refused.
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Following a period of glitz, the president is now showing her true Labour colours.
One thing pontificating, quite another walking the talk, Ma?am?
The undisclosed pardon granted by disgraced Joseph Muscat is part of the ‘weaponisation’ tactics being used from the OPM on the Office of the AG and the justice system when taxi driver ‘middleman’ Melvin Theuma was being used as a deflection to make a coverup in the investigation of her political assassination.
Without a doubt, Mafia chief Joseph Muscat has blood on his hands regarding the premeditated assassination of Daphne when he is concealing the truth about the masterminds involved in the plot, noting that his CoS Keith Schembri also featured in police investigations into Daphne’s assassination.
Although Joseph Muscat has said that he is not afraid of justice, Jesus Christ says ‘And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free’ when his day comes in a court in Malta or the US to face the responsibilities for his heinous crimes.
What really make us wondering and angry is why we do not have an Ministru Anti Corruption.
I remember her grumbling about the situation this muvument korrrott has brought Malta in, but now she’s had her iced bun – so it’s ok.
you must be joking – in mafiamalta ???????
Actually Madame President has already shown her true colours some time ago in the case of the Pardon issued to people convicted in the Fake Social Benefits cases. That Pardon is worthless — ”fake” is a more correct description — on at least two counts. The first count is a logical one: you cannot issue ”Pardons” before anyone had actually committed a crime and been found guilty in a Court of Law. The President has done just that. The Pardon was announced before any case had been decided in Court.
Over and above that the law says Pardons can only be issued on an individual basis. Again the President failed to observe that rule: a blanket pardon was issued. As an added ”decoration” , the President has stood by and watched members of her staff making a fool of her and themselves in Court by claiming to be unable to supply the Court with a certified copy of this particular Pardon.
I doubt the president will throw caution to the wind when she is surrounded by hardened and deranged criminals pretending they have the ability to run a country. They are certainly very skilled at chaos and destruction and they won’t bat an eyelid should they desire to put the ‘president in her place’ i.e. what these constitutional vandals expect to be ‘her place’.
So, that’s why Theuma was given a phantom job! Because he was penniless!
Incredibile and revolting!
Previous governments published pardons but we are now more of a dictatorship than a democracy with all positions filled with unqualified but over paid grateful morons
Malta at a Crossroads: A Call to End Mafia-Style Governance
The situation in Malta has reached a critical point. Government corruption, lack of accountability, and a blatant disregard for justice have turned our country into a playground for those who abuse power. This is not just an internal crisis?it is an international embarrassment. If immediate action is not taken, Malta risks falling into irreversible decline.
A Government That Operates in the Shadows
Recent investigations, including those by courageous journalists at The Shift News, have exposed the dangerous extent to which corruption has infiltrated our institutions. Those who should be protecting our democracy are instead profiting from its destruction. Contracts are awarded to cronies, justice is obstructed, and anyone who dares to speak out faces intimidation.
The most alarming part? No one wants to take responsibility. Even those within the system are realizing the mess they are in, yet they remain silent out of fear or self-interest.
Where Is the Leadership?
The President of the Republic has a duty to act. Leadership is not about ceremonial appearances?it is about safeguarding the principles of democracy, transparency, and justice. Every day that passes without decisive action is another day that Malta inches closer to total collapse.
We cannot allow this to continue. Our country belongs to the people, not to a network of corrupt politicians and businessmen who treat it as their personal bank account.
A Call to the Maltese People?And the World
This is a call to action. To every Maltese citizen who values justice, to every journalist fighting for the truth, and to the international community watching from the sidelines: the time to act is now. Silence is complicity.
We demand:
Immediate accountability for those involved in corruption.
International pressure on Malta?s government to clean up its institutions.
Protection for journalists and whistleblowers exposing the truth.
A national movement to restore democracy and end mafia-style governance.
Malta is at a crossroads. We either fight for the country we deserve, or we watch it fall into the hands of criminals. The choice is ours.