Pardoned middleman admits lying about Schembri, police commissioner

Pardoned murder middleman Melvin Theuma admitted he had lied about the involvement of former chief of staff Keith Schembri in Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination and had also bluffed about obtaining information directly from then-Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar.

The admissions came during a combative day of cross-examination in Yorgen Fenech’s murder trial, as defence lawyer Giannella de Marco sought to undermine the credibility of the prosecution’s key witness by confronting him with his own recordings, messages and previous claims.

Theuma conceded that, despite having implicated Schembri in a letter he wrote as protection in case he was killed, Schembri had never spoken to him about Caruana Galizia, instructed him to arrange the murder or paid him.

“Yes, I lied,” Theuma told the court when pressed on the discrepancy.

He insisted he had become convinced at the time that Schembri and Fenech were acting together, particularly following alleged promises that the Degiorgio brothers would be granted bail and receive €1 million each.

“Keith Schembri was not involved,” Theuma told the judge, insisting that his pardon required him to tell the truth.

During the afternoon session, Theuma was also repeatedly challenged over claims in his secret recordings that he was obtaining sensitive information from Police Commissioner Lawrence Cutajar.

“Everything about the commissioner in the recordings was all bluff,” Theuma testified.

The defence pointed out that information Theuma claimed to have invented nevertheless appeared to tally with information circulating about the police investigation.

The court also heard a telephone conversation between Cutajar and Theuma’s confidant Edgar Brincat, known as il-Ġojja, concerning Theuma’s police interrogation. Brincat is heard telling the commissioner that Theuma had spoken well, adding words to the effect of: “I wrote them down. Study them… the interpretation was perfect.”

Theuma distanced himself from the conversation, saying the two men would have to explain it themselves.

Yet the cross-examination also revealed that Theuma was receiving remarkably detailed advance information about police operations.

He said Johann Cremona had offered to provide him with the questions investigators intended to ask and told him that Raymond Aquilina, then head of the police anti-money laundering unit, would be present. Theuma claimed he was even told he could strike out questions he did not want to answer.

Theuma knew he was expected to be arrested on 16 November 2019 and said the information came from either Fenech or Cremona.

He confirmed that two days earlier, Fenech and Cremona warned him to clear out anything connected to both his illegal lottery operation and Caruana Galizia’s murder. Police subsequently brought the raid forward after noticing him clearing his Marsaskala garage.

The revelations followed Theuma’s morning testimony about former Assistant Police Commissioner Mario Tonna.

Theuma admitted approaching Tonna following the Degiorgios’ arrests because he feared police had recovered the burner phone used to communicate with Alfred Degiorgio. Tonna subsequently told him investigators had not found it.

Theuma also admitted giving Tonna “something” when the senior officer was going through a difficult period.

Theuma’s cross-examination will continue on Thursday, with defence lawyers indicating they expect to conclude their questioning.