There exists a photo of former Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Keith Schembri and Melvin Theuma, the suspected middleman in the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia who has since been granted a pardon in exchange for crucial evidence, in an embrace, the court heard today.

The sensational information was revealed by Yorgen Fenech’s defence lawyer Marion Camilleri, in the first hearings of a  constitutional case to remove chief homicide inspector Keith Arnaud from the investigation.

Camilleri also revealed that there is also a contract of works between Schembri and Theuma, while Theuma’s alleged recordings also feature Schembri.

Ultimately, the lawyers claim it was Schembri who commissioned Fenech to carry out the murder.

“It’s a horror show,” Lawyer Gianluca Caruana Curran said.

The proceedings initially began with the defence laying out the reasons they feel Arnaud should be removed from the investigation, namely that the inspector has been acting under the influence of Schembri.

The full reasons were outlined in a Lovin Malta report yesterday. However, two notable cases were Arnaud’s wife being granted a job at Infrastructure Malta on Schembri’s request, and Arnaud having provided Schembri with updates on the murder investigation.

The defence argued that Arnaud had been working for two years on the case and had expert knowledge of its detail. They said that just because the prosecution wishes for the inspector should be removed, doesn’t mean he should be.