There could be up to four other people involved in the plot to assassinate journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, the middleman’s secret recordings of murder suspect Yorgen Fenech has revealed.

A recording at Fenech’s farmhouse in Haż-Żebbuġ was played to the court today. Melvin Theuma and Fenech were discussing a pardon request made by Vince Muscat (Il-Koħħu), one of the men charged with carrying out the murder who ended up speaking to investigators about the crime.

Here’s a snippet from the conversation:

“Does Vince Muscat  know about the others?” Yorgen Fenech asks.

“I don’t think il-Koħħu knows. Now, I don’t know about the four others,” Theuma replies.

“Keith” Schembri is mentioned soon after. Schembri, a close friend of Fenech, remains under investigation for his potential role in the murder.

Faced with intense questioning from the courts, Theuma proved to be evasive on who the four others were, insisting it was just an assumption. He first said that he suspected that Alfred and George Degiorgio, who allegedly carried out the murder along with Vince Muscat, had roped in another four with them.

However, both Magistrate Rachel Montebello and parte civile lawyer Jason Azzopardi were unimpressed, given that the Degiorgios had no idea of Fenech’s involvement, something which was confirmed by Theuma.

“So why would Fenech ask you about the others?” they asked.

Theuma quickly changed tact.

“It’s probably because of what I heard in the news and in the shops. People were talking and saying others were involved in the crime. There was fuel smuggling, Chris Cardona, and others. But under oath,  Yorgen and I were alone in it, I swear,” he said.

He contradicted himself once more, saying that Cardona wasn’t one of the four people he was thinking of when making that reference and eventually settled on the Degiorgios line once more.

“I never ever saw or spoke to Cardona,” he said.

Hinting a potentially wider net is a text message from the brother of the Degiorgios, who threatened Theuma that he along with ‘others’ would end up in prison.

Unfortunately, Theuma insisted that he did not know who he was referring to.

It remains to be seen how the case will develop. Yorgen Fenech has insisted that Keith Schembri was involved. Meanwhile, Fenech’s close relationship with former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat also raises questions.