‘Your fingerprints are everywhere’: Defence grills Keith Schembri over murder plot

Keith Schembri spent a third consecutive day in the witness box on Thursday, denying every allegation put to him during cross-examination in the trial by jury of Yorgen Fenech, rejecting claims that he commissioned Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination, leaked confidential police information, warned the businessman about the investigation or attempted to influence its course.

The former chief of staff to disgraced prime minister Joseph Muscat was questioned for several hours by defence lawyer Giannella de Marco, who referred to the repeated references to Schembri throughout the trial, while he maintained that he had committed no wrongdoing.

Throughout the day, Schembri denied that he was informed beforehand about his home search and arrest and rejected claims that he passed on confidential information from the investigation. He also denied attempting to shift suspicion onto former minister Chris Cardona or interfering in the police investigation.

When confronted with testimony previously given by investigators and other key prosecution witnesses, Schembri repeatedly disagreed with their account, insisting that meetings, telephone calls, messages and conversations referred to during the trial had been misinterpreted or were “lies”.

The former chief of staff also disputed the interpretation of covertly recorded conversations and maintained that they did not support the conclusions being drawn by investigators.

His testimony comes after weeks during which jurors have repeatedly heard his name mentioned by police investigators and other witnesses in connection with his alleged involvement in the murder of the journalist.

According to Schembri, many witnesses had lied about him, and he described the prosecution’s key witness, Melvin Theuma, as “Malta’s biggest liar”.

The jury has also heard evidence concerning the disappearance of Schembri’s personal mobile phone, searches carried out at his Mellieħa residence and later at his office, together with evidence regarding contacts between him, the police, including lead investigator Keith Arnaud and the Police Commissioner and Fenech before the latter’s arrest in November 2019.

During Thursday’s proceedings, Schembri was repeatedly asked to respond to that evidence. On each occasion, he denied any wrongdoing and disputed the prosecution’s interpretation of the facts, rejecting all allegations of his involvement. Asked whether he had lied to the police as well, he said that he did not remember.

Contradicting himself on many occasions, Schembri maintained that investigators had drawn incorrect conclusions from his contacts with Fenech and denied having access to, or sharing, confidential information from the murder investigation.

Questions also focused on evidence previously given by Melvin Theuma and other prosecution witnesses. Schembri rejected their account where it conflicted with his own version of events.

“You use people and hide your hands. Your fingerprints are everywhere,” defence lawyer Giannella de Marco countered.

Schembri was never charged by the police with crimes related to the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

The trial continues on Friday.