Malta’s civil service head has launched an investigation into Melvin Theuma’s statement that he was given a false government job a few days after he arranged the price for the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

“Reference is being made to reports about a letter, allegedly written by Melvin Theuma, stating that he was given a government job,” Principal Permanent Secretary Mario Cutajar said in a statement.

“The Principal Permanent Secretary yesterday instructed the verification of all government employment records, wherefrom it resulted that Melvin Theuma’s name was not amongst those of persons who had been employed in the Public Service.”

“Today, all employment data is being verified afresh and all employment records have also been requested from all government entities.”

“The verification results will be preserved so as to be available for ongoing or future investigations. The police have been informed about these developments.”

In court today, Theuma testified that main murder suspect Yorgen Fenech had told him he wants to kill Daphne Caruana Galizia because she was going to publish information about his uncle Ray Fenech and instructed him to get in touch with Alfred Degiorgio to set this plan in motion.

After Theuma arrange the price with Degiorgio, Fenech told him to expect a phone call from Sandro Craus, the head of customer care at Castille. Craus then informed Theuma that he had a meeting with the Prime Minister’s then chief of staff Keith Schembri and the meeting took place at Castille.

No details of this meeting have emerged so far but Theuma told the court that Craus informed him that he had been given a government job at the Ministry for the Family, Children’s Rights and Social Solidarity.

“I never even went into work… I have no idea what my job even was,” he said.

Theuma said he received three or four monthly cheques from Castille, but this stopped two months after the 2017 election.