A former top-ranking financial crimes police officer has been arrested on suspicion of leaking sensitive information from the investigation into Daphne Caruana Galizia’s assassination, Times of Malta has reported. 

Ray Aquilina has long been named as a potential leak to people involved in the journalist’s murder.

Recordings between murder middleman Melvin Theuma and main suspect Yorgen Fenech show that Fenech had tried to calm Theuma down about his impending money laundering arrest by telling him that a certain “Ray” would be arresting him.

Theuma also testified in court that Fenech’s associate Johann Cremona had assured him that Ray Aquilina would interrogate him.

“Dak orrajt (‘he’s alright’),” Cremona allegedly told Theuma.

When a different police inspector showed up for the interrogation, Theuma decided to start speaking about his role in Caruana Galizia’s murder.

Aquilina left the force at the start of 2020, shortly after Fenech’s arrest.

Times of Malta reported today that Aquilina was arrested and is being interrogated at the Financial Crimes Investigation Department in Santa Venera along with other people believed to have leaked sensitive information. 

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