Police searched Schembri’s OPM office seven days after his arrest

Police investigating the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia waited seven days after arresting former chief of staff Keith Schembri before searching his office at the Office of the Prime Minister, jurors in the Yorgen Fenech murder trial heard on Wednesday.

Under cross-examination, Inspector Kurt Zahra confirmed that Schembri’s Castille office was not immediately searched or guarded by a police officer following his arrest.

Schembri had been arrested at his Mellieħa residence at around 5.45 am, with Zahra and fellow investigator Keith Arnaud searching themselves without the assistance of scene-of-crime officers.

Despite spending hours at the property looking for anything potentially connected to Caruana Galizia’s murder – including Schembri’s mobile phone, laptop and documents – the two investigators left empty-handed.

“We agree that neither you nor Mr Arnaud seized anything?” defence lawyer Giannella de Marco asked.

“Nothing,” Zahra replied.

The questioning then turned to Schembri’s former office at Castille, which was searched a week later.

Zahra confirmed that police had not sealed the office or stationed an officer outside it in the intervening period. He also said investigators did not check an inventory of electronic devices assigned to Schembri as a government official and no electronic devices were seized from the office.

During the search, investigators came across a file containing selected articles written by Caruana Galizia about Schembri.

De Marco questioned why investigators did not consider the collection significant, particularly since it remained inside Schembri’s office more than two years after the journalist was murdered.

Zahra acknowledged during questioning that the collection was not seized. He said the articles were in the public domain and were not considered relevant to the homicide investigation.

De Marco pointed out that by the time of the search, pardoned middleman Melvin Theuma had already named Schembri and investigators had recordings in which he referred to him.

She cited one recording in which Theuma allegedly asked: “Has Keith Schembri forgotten how much he chased after me to kill her?”

Another document found in Schembri’s office contained references including “DCG”, “Pierre Darmanin” and “CC”. It was seized by an officer from the Economic Crimes Unit rather than Zahra’s homicide team.

Zahra said he did not ask for the document to be exhibited in the compilation of evidence concerning Caruana Galizia’s murder.

The cross-examination also returned to Kenneth Camilleri, who had told investigators that Schembri had sent him to tell Johann Cremona to contact Theuma.

Zahra said Schembri had been questioned and denied the claim. Asked whether investigators subsequently returned to Schembri after further questioning of Camilleri, Zahra said they did not.

De Marco also referred to a Europol report which, according to the defence, identified Schembri and former minister Chris Cardona as “possible instigators” of the murder.

Zahra said he had never seen the report, explaining that it had been prepared for the magistrate conducting the inquiry.

The trial continues on Thursday.