Keith Schembri, the former chief of staff of former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, will finally testify in the police’s compilation of evidence against Daphne Caruana Galizia murder suspect Yorgen Fenech starting on Monday at 10am.

From a missing mobile phone to several mentions in state witness Melvin Theuma’s secret tapes, Schembri has hung over this case like a spectre with his links to the murder and its participants growing after every sitting.

However, Schembri is not the only significant witness facing the courts. Adrian Vella, the mutual doctor of Fenech and Schembri, is also taking the stand.

Vella has confirmed with investigators that he passed on several letters between Fenech and Schembri while the former was under police bail, including this one. However, he has maintained that he never read the content of the letters.

One of the letters was an alleged frame-up attempt on Chris Cardona from Fenech and Schembri.

Vella was also involved in Fenech’s escape plot before his arrest.

2. Wednesday 24th June at 9:30am – Attorney General Peter Grech and Inspector Kurt Zahra in the public inquiry

The public inquiry into the assassination will continue on Wednesday morning with Attorney General Peter Grech, who is often a focal point of criticism for government inaction of corruption, testifying.

Grech has been accused of failing to prosecute major officials despite major allegations with claims often bogged down in year-long inquiries. He will also likely face questioning over Charles Merceica’s decision to quit as a state prosecutor within the Attorney General’s office to jump ship to Fenech’s legal team.

Inspector Kurt Zahra, one of the leads on the investigation and works side by side with Chief Homicide Inspector Keith Arnaud, is also testifying,

He’s been there from start to finish and could hopefully give some new details on the case. Meanwhile, Zahra could hopefully shed some light on the many leaks on the investigation. Despite the numerous allegations, its clear that Fenech and Theuma were well aware of the inner workings of the case.

3. Friday 26th June at 9:30am – Economic Crimes Unit Head Ian Abdilla in the public inquiry

Ian Abdilla, the head of Malta’s Economic Crimes Unit, will face the public inquiry on Friday morning. The unit has emerged as a central figure in the inquiry, with Jonathan Ferris suggesting that the unit failed to act in allegations of financial corruption.

Abdilla also allegedly held a secret meeting with the FIAU head, the day before he submitted a report on Konrad Mizzi to a magisterial inquiry.

He’s also facing serious allegations outside of the inquiry. Abdilla is heading the case against traffic officers who were allegedly involved in an extra-duty abuse racket that rocked the force last February. Those involved say that Abdilla is simply making an example out of them to make up for his unit’s failure to take action on money laundering cases ahead of a crucial MoneyVal test.

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