Yorgen Fenech’s text messages and phone records that were lifted off his electronic devices will form part of the evidence in the public inquiry linked to the Daphne Caruana Galizia assassination, which stopped hearing witnesses earlier today. 

This means that the inquiry board will now work on formulating a report on their findings. 

Earlier today, Jason Azzopardi and Therese Comodini Cachia, the parte civile lawyers for Caruana Galizia’s family, presented two box files worth of messages, phone records, and other details from Fenech’s phone.

The content of the messages and records are directly related to people who have testified in the case and hold public office. 

Magistrate Rachel Montebello, who is overseeing the compilation of evidence against Fenech, approved the submission. 

The inquiry board, which is composed of retired judge Michael Mallia, former Chief Justice Joseph Said Pullicino and Judge Abigail Lofaro, was set up in December 2019. Its first sitting came just days after the arrest of Fenech.

It has heard a plethora of different witnesses – including state witness Melvin Theuma, former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, Keith Schembri, and many other key figures in Malta’s institutions. 

It has faced criticism from Prime Minister Robert Abela, the government and the Labour Party – who have at many points questioned its legitimacy. This has raised concerns in the Council of Europe – who ordered the inquiry after it was routinely rejected by Muscat’s administration.