Former Prime Minister’s Chief of Staff Keith Schembri is named several times by Yorgen Fenech as having played a part in the plot to assassinate journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia in the recordings of Melvin Theuma, the middleman in the case who has been granted a pardon in exchange for crucial information.

Fenech is the Tumas Group businessman charged with conspiring to assassinate Caruana Galizia.

Theuma confirmed the details while under intense questioning from lawyer Jason Azzopardi, who is appearing on behalf of the Caruana Galizia family.

However, Theuma did repeatedly say that he could not confirm Schembri’s involvement while under oath, mainly because Schembri never told him so himself.

“If I lie my pardon drops,” Theuma warned.

Schembri’s involvement, Theuma explained, could only be inferred given how much Fenech mentioned him and the very close relationship Schembri and Fenech had.

The recordings of Fenech took place after the murder happened, with Theuma beginning to fear that he would either be murdered or jailed.

“Like they killed Daphne, they would kill me,” Theuma said, adding that they would have gotten away with it because of Schembri.

While Theuma cannot confirm under oath Schembri’s involvement, Fenech’s wealth of information surrounding the case and the links to Castille are evident.

For example, it was Fenech who told Theuma to expect a call from Castille for his phantom government job, moments before OPM Head of Customer Care Sandro Craus phoned about the meeting.

Meanwhile, Theuma and the three men charged with carrying out the murder were all informed well in advance of their imminent arrests.

To make matters worse, Theuma and Fenech were also informed in detail of Vince Muscat’s decision to start talking to police. The details, Azzopardi revealed, should have only been known by Cabinet Members.

Pointing the finger squarely at Schembri is Azzopardi’s claim that Fenech told police that Schembri forked out €80,000 for the assassination and had passed it over in a reebok bag.