Keith Schembri was feeding Yorgen Fenech information as police closed in, jury hears

Former prime minister Joseph Muscat’s chief of staff, Keith Schembri, was repeatedly mentioned as a source of sensitive information reaching Yorgen Fenech as investigators closed in on those involved in the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, jurors heard on Monday afternoon.

The afternoon session of Fenech’s trial was characterised almost entirely by secret recordings made by pardoned murder middleman Melvin Theuma of his conversations with Fenech.

Theuma, who continued his testimony before Madam Justice Edwina Grima, was asked to explain the recordings and identify the people being referred to.

In one of the most significant exchanges, Theuma told the court that Johann Cremona had warned him to change his telephone number and abandon his old phone because their phones were being tapped.

Asked by prosecutor Godwin Cini, who had passed this information to Cremona, Theuma replied: “Keith Schembri.”

In the same recording, Fenech is heard checking whether Theuma’s phone carried out WhatsApp backups, warning him: “If it does, it’s not very good for you.”

Schembri’s name continued to surface in other recordings.

In one conversation, Fenech referred to “my friend”, whom Theuma identified in court as Schembri. Another recording contained a reference to “dak” – “that guy” – which Theuma again said referred to Schembri.

Former deputy police commissioner Silvio Valletta was also mentioned.

Theuma explained that Fenech was heard telling him that Valletta was going to meet him for a whiskey.

Theuma also told jurors that the Degiorgio brothers received €350,000 in total, including payments made following Caruana Galizia’s murder, although the precise context and breakdown of the figure remained unclear.

Another recording revealed that Fenech was prepared to provide Theuma with money to purchase a San Ġwann property after Theuma lost access to a bank loan because of money-laundering investigations. Theuma said Fenech instructed him not to tell his uncle, Ray Fenech, about the arrangement.

Several recordings proved difficult to understand, leading to repeated objections from the defence over prosecutors suggesting what was being said when no official transcripts existed.

The court eventually agreed that jurors could listen to parts of the recordings through headphones.

Proceedings will continue tomorrow.

So far, the police have not filed any charges against Keith Schembri in connection with the murder and leaks about the police investigation that led to Fenech’s arrest and prosecution.