Malta’s Police never thought Keith Schembri could have been linked to Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder despite his fraternal relationship with main suspect Yorgen Fenech, the public inquiry was told today.

Speaking in the public inquiry into the murder and the circumstances that surrounded it, former Police Commissioner revealed that investigators were completely unaware of a potential link when they attended unprecedented briefings on the murder at Castille.

“But he was mentioned in the Panama Papers,” the board asked.

“We cannot say that the Panama Papers and assassination are linked,” Cutajar replied.

Schembri, former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, Keith Arnaud, Silvio Valletta, the Attorney General, and members from the armed forces and secret service would attend the meetings.

The meeting started just a month after Caruana Galizia’s murder and continued up until a month before the arrest of Fenech and middleman-turned-state witness Melvin Theuma.

Fenech was established as a potential suspect latest the start of 2019, while the FIAU had been sitting on a report identifying him as the owner of 17 Black since the start of 2018.

His arrest has set off a chain of events and  Schembri, Valletta and even Cutajar have been facing serious allegations and even criminal investigations as to whether they leaked information on the case.

Schembri’s name has been featured through the case. Most recently, Adrian Vella, the mutual doctor and part-time messenger of Keith Schembri and Yorgen Fenech confirmed he passed on documents between the pair while the latter was under police bail for the murder.

And while Schembri may only be vaguely referenced in recordings, Valletta’s name crops up throughout, having even travelled and eaten dinner with Fenech during the investigation.

Valletta was removed from the investigation in June 2018 but still remained Deputy Commissioner until 2019.

Caruana Galizia wrote significantly on Schembri, particularly over his role in the Panama Papers and other corruption allegations.

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