Yorgen Fenech, a wealthy Maltese businessman and heir to a property empire that includes the Hilton Malta hotel and casino, has gone on trial for orchestrating the 2017 assassination of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Fenech is one of seven men accused of involvement in the killing and is the last to face trial, appearing in court more than nine years after the journalist was killed by a car bomb near her home.
Prosecutors allege that Fenech plotted the murder, paying €150,000 for three hitmen to carry out the crime. The prosecution further claims that the 44-year-old businessman spent more than €400,000 on legal fees for the hitmen convicted of the killing.
Caruana Galizia had investigated corruption at the highest levels in the country, shining a spotlight on murky links between Malta's business and political elites.
Fenech denies all charges. He remains on house arrest after pledging a record bail estimated at €50 million and arrived in court for the second day of his trial in an unmarked armoured police vehicle.