MaltaToday managing editor Saviour Balzan has denied Keith Schembri’s testimony that he had been informed in advance of the December 2017 raids on the men charged with assassinating Daphne Caruana Galizia.

In a joint statement with the paper’s executive editor Matthew Vella, Balzan denies ever having had any prior knowledge of the raid.

“Keith Schembri’s assertion in court that MaltaToday was aware of the raid is untrue,” they said. “Conversations were held with several individuals including Schembri after the raid took place in the course of gathering more detailed information on the investigation.”

Testifying in the case against murder suspect Yorgen Fenech today, Schembri said Balzan had been informed in advance of the police raid on murder suspects George and Alfred Degiorgio and their accomplice Vince Muscat.

“When it comes to the raids, one media house, MaltaToday, knew the raid was coming – they were warned,” Schembri said. “Saviour Balzan told me that I could have told him about the raid.”

Balzan’s statement means three people named in court by Schembri today have accused the OPM chief of staff of perjury.

Opposition leader Adrian Delia and his former head of media Pierre Portelli have denied Schembri’s statement that Fenech had paid them €50,000 to prevent David Casa’s re-election to the European Parliament.

Cover photo: Still from police footage of their raid on the murder suspects in December 2017