Investigations into severe claims over the potential links of former Deputy Police Commissioner Silvio Valletta, former Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Keith Schembri, and former Minister Chris Cardona to the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia are still underway.

Chief Homicide Inspector Keith Arnaud confirmed the fact to the court after their names cropped up once again in state witness Melvin Theuma’s secret recordings of main suspect Yorgen Fenech. He also said that Theuma’s revelations that he knew about his imminent arrest are also being examined.

“I hope all these claims are being investigated,” Magistrate Rachel Montebello asked.

“Of course they are,” Arnaud replies.

Fenech claims in recordings that he was fed information on the investigation directly from Schembri and Valletta. These details included the arrest of the three men charged with carrying out the murder, a potential pardon, that their phones were wiretapped, and that Chris Cardona’s number was discovered on the phone of one of Daphne’s killers. 

Fenech has described a “fraternal” relationship with Schembri to the courts. Schembri has even confirmed under oath that they were friends and had also holidayed together on occasion.

He was set to face cross-examination in the police’s case against Fenech on 27th March 2020. However, with the courts closed following the outbreak of COVID-19 in Malta, this was delayed.

In a previous sitting, Arnaud said Schembri was under investigation over a litany of offences which include:

Tampering with evidence, leaking extensive information about the investigation, obstructing justice, and acquiring a phantom job for middleman Melvin Theuma.

Valletta, who is referred to as “Valletta l-oħxon” in Theuma’s secret recordings of Fenech, was leading the case into the assassination until he was forcibly removed by court order.

He’s been revealed to have held intimate dinners with Fenech, going abroad with him one at least two occasions. Meanwhile, there is a video of Valletta “fooling around” in Fenech’s Rolls Royce.

With regards to Cardona, Theuma has detailed a financial relationship between Cardona and suspected triggerman Alfred Degiorgio. More sensationally, Theuma said that Fenech claimed Cardona was so worried about the murder that he ended up hospitalised after an overdose on pills. Meanwhile, its also been claimed his relationship with Degiorgio included burner phones, family jobs, and a potential marijuana procurement license.

Cardona has cropped up in other places. He was suddenly thrown in the spotlight again when it emerged that a letter detailing his involvement in the killing was revealed as having been sent to Fenech by then OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri via their mutual doctor. 

He has vehemently denied the allegations made against him, saying the information was fed to Theuma as part of an “evil and malignant” plot to frame him for Caruana Galizia’s murder. He warned that his resignation as Deputy Party Leader would only make allegations more believable.