1. Silvio Valletta

Valletta, who is the estranged husband of former minister Justyne Caruana, was leading the investigation into the murder until he was forcibly removed from the case by court order. 

He served as Deputy Police Commissioner up until 2019 and now benefits of the police force’s retirement scheme. 

Valletta has been named a major leak on the case by both Melvin Theuma and Vince Muscat.

These details included the arrest of the three men charged with carrying out the murder, Muscat’s potential pardon, information that Theuma’s and Yorgen Fenech’s phones were wiretapped, and that Chris Cardona’s number was discovered on the phone of one of Daphne’s killers.

He also provided information to the hitman over Caruana Galizia’s whereabouts in the lead-up to her murder.

Valletta, who is referred to as “Valletta l-oħxon” in Melvin Theuma’s secret recordings of Fenech, was the one who set up unprecedented briefings with former Prime Minister Joseph Muscat and his chief of staff Keith Schembri on the case.

The briefings started soon after the murder and continued up until a month before Theuma’s arrest. 

Media reports and court sittings have also revealed that Valletta had an intimate relationship with Fenech. He held dinners with Fenech and went abroad with him on at least two occasions. 

Meanwhile, there exists a video of Valletta “fooling around” in Fenech’s Rolls Royce.

Fenech and Valletta even shared a WhatsApp group called ‘No Valletta, No Party’.

However, he has seemingly avoided any investigation or criminal charges despite the overwhelming evidence against him. 

Valletta, on current timeframes, will more likely see any charges against him time-barred should police ever choose to take action. 

2. Lawrence Cutajar

Valletta is not the only high-ranking police official to avoid any sort of action by authorities. 

His superior, Lawrence Cutajar, had long been decried as a government lackey who was reluctant to pursue criminal investigations against politicians and their allies.

Cutajar finally resigned amid the political crisis that unfolded following Fenech’s arrest. Still, he was immediately handed a €31,000/year consultancy at Byron Camilleri’s Home Affairs Ministry. 

He was booted out of the position just a few months later after Magistrate Rachel Montebello ordered an investigation into claims that he leaked crucial information to Theuma’s close confidante Edwin Brincat. 

Theuma and Johann Cremona, the business partner of Fenech and confidante of the middleman, both claimed that Cutajar had provided Brincat with information in the case, which was then passed on to Theuma. 

Specifically, Cutajar allegedly informed Theuma that Europol knew of the secret recorded conversations between him and Fenech, even asking Theuma if he could listen to them before his arrest.

Theuma has said that Cutajar asked Brincat about the existence of secret recordings in a meeting to sort out a fine. Cutajar has confirmed this meeting took place. 

Fenech’s lawyers claim Brincat had paid Cuatajr €30,000, with the implication being that Theuma had bribed Cutajar to secure a pardon. The claim appears on taped conversations between Cremona and Theuma.

Cremona later said that Cutajar even informed Theuma about a money-laundering investigation.

Sensationally, Cutajar has even tried to influence the trial, speaking to Brincat right before his testimony in the case. 

Still, an investigation into Cutajar began in June 2020, more than two years ago. No action has been taken and it appears that police remain reluctant to do so.

3. Keith Schembri

Keith Schembri, the chief of staff of then-Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, has hung over the case like a shroud. 

He has so far been charged in connection with alleged financial crime, whether that involves passport kickbacks or Allied Newspapers’ purchase of printing equipment. 

However, when it comes to the murder itself, he has so far faced criminal action over a phantom government job provided to Theuma soon after he accepted to sort out the assassination for Fenech. 

But that case threatens to fall flat with Theuma now refusing to testify in the case. 

When it comes to the murder itself, Fenech has long claimed that Schembri was the mastermind, while Theuma has said that while Fenech always told him Schembri was involved, he could never prove it himself. Theuma even named Schembri and Fenech as the masterminds in a note he wrote should he have been killed.

Meanwhile, David Gatt, the associate of Chris Cardona who has been linked to the HSBC heist, visited the hitmen before and after the murder, allegedly on Schembri’s orders. 

Vince Muscat said under oath that Gatt visited them at the infamous Marsa potato shed out of the blue and gave them a thumbs up. Muscat explained he had asked Alfred Degiorgio what that meant.

“You know who told him. It’s Keith (Schembri) il-Kasco. The thumbs up is a reference to the ‘number one ta’ Malta‘, Keith Schembri,” Degiorgio allegedly told Muscat. 

On one occasion, Gatt even allegedly told Muscat: “How long until you get rid of her? She’s the witch of Bidnija.” 

Another time, Gatt allegedly made an explosion-like gesture with his hands and mouth. Gatt has vehemently denied all claims.

Johann Cremona also told Theuma that he would receive information from Schembri via former Castille official Kenneth Camilleri. 

Cremona has also revealed that a “panicked” Schembri called him up trying to contact Fenech, two months before the businessman’s arrest in connection with the assassination.

At the very least, there exists overwhelming circumstantial evidence that suggests Schembri was involved in a potential cover-up. 

Fenech has long claimed that Schembri, through Valletta, leaked major information. This has been echoed by Theuma, but once again, he said that he could not say for certain. 

Schembri allegedly even passed on a copy of Melvin Theuma’s pardon to Fenech.

Schembri, Muscat and Fenech also shared a WhatsApp group up until a month before Fenech’s arrest. Both the Prime Minister and his chief of staff were included in briefings on the murder right up until then. 

Fenech has described a “fraternal” relationship with Schembri to the courts. Schembri has even confirmed under oath that they were friends and had also holidayed together on occasion.

The most damning incident involves Schembri’s actions following Fenech’s arrest. Doctor-turned-middleman Adrian Vella confirmed under oath that he passed on documents between the pair while the latter was under police bail for the murder.

The letters reportedly deal with an alleged frame-up attempt of Chris Cardona, which have been published by Lovin Malta. 

Vella was arrested along with Schembri once police became aware of the letter. However, police first went to Vella, who called up Schembri alerting him that police were coming. 

Once police arrived, Schembri’s phone was nowhere to be found even though its last registered use was soon before their arrival. It has still not been located. 

It remains to be seen if Schembri will ever be charged in connection to the claims, with Malta yet to have any laws on obstruction of justice. 

4. Johann Cremona

A business partner of Fenech who had close connections with Theuma, Johann Cremona’s name has been littered throughout the case.

He played an instrumental role in connecting Theuma with Kenneth Camilleri, a former official at Castille that was allegedly acting as a middleman for Schembri. 

Cremona was present for three meetings between Theuma and Camilleri. Meanwhile, he was also present for meetings after the murder between Theuma and Fenech. 

He also features heavily in taped conversations. In those tapes, Cremona issues claims against Cutajar as well as the potential involvement of then-minister Chris Cardona in the murder.

Cremona allegedly told Theuma that Cardona had a financial relationship to suspected triggerman Alfred Degiorgio via a middleman “whose name began with ‘B’”, believed to be  Tony’ Il-Biglee’ Chetcuti .

Evidence appears to suggest that Cremona was heavily involved in the attempted cover-up of the murder. 

5. Kenneth Camilleri

Kenneth Camilleri is the infamous former security official at Castille that allegedly acted as a messenger for Schembri. 

Theuma has testified that Camilleri led a plot to bail out the three men charged with carrying out the murder. Theuma claims that Camilleri called Schembri during their first meeting, but once again he said he cannot confirm it. 

During one of these meetings, Camilleri brought out a piece of paper with three mobile numbers written on it, one of which was Theuma’s old mobile number.

Theuma has told the court that he does not know where Camilleri got this information. However, he believes it could be Schembri, given Fenech’s regular references to him.

Camilleri refused to testify in the case, given that he was subject to criminal investigation. 

However, more than two years later he remains free of criminal action. 

6. Chris Cardona

Chris Cardona’s name was first thrust into the case after a letter naming him as the potential mastermind was discovered by police in Fenech’s possession. 

However, the letter later became part of a suspected cover-up allegedly orchestrated by Schembri. 

Cardona immediately denied all wrongdoing and insisted that he would send the letter for forensic analysis. Nothing ever came of the analysis. 

Still, his name has been repeatedly brought up in the case, particularly concerning his links to Alfred Degiorgio and George Degiorgio, two of the hitmen. 

His number was even found on one of the burner phones that were discarded in the sea by the Marsa potato shed where the hitmen were arrested. 

The Degiorgios and Vince Muscat, the other hitman, have claimed that Cardona was already involved in a plot to murder Daphne in 2015 with the aid of his associate David Gatt.

A price was even allegedly agreed upon.

When it comes to the murder, both Theuma and Cremona have said that Cardona was a mastermind. 

Degiorgio has also claimed that Cardona leaked a wealth of information, including details like Caruana Galizia’s whereabouts in the lead-up to her murder and the imminent arrests of the hitmen. 

Meanwhile, Theuma has already detailed an alleged financial relationship between Cardona and  Degiorgio, suggesting he used middleman Tony ‘Il-Biglee’ Chetcuti to pass on payment.

He claimed that the relationship with the Degiorgios stretched back a year and included burner phones, family jobs, and a potential cannabis procurement license.

More sensationally, Theuma said that Fenech claimed Cardona was so worried about the murder that he ended up hospitalised after an overdose on pills.

Beyond the murder, the Degiorgio brothers have also linked Cardona and current MP and former minister Carmelo Abela with a failed HSBC heist in 2010.

Cardona has routinely denied all claims against him and has since retreated from public life. 

7. Joseph Muscat

Joseph Muscat’s role in the entire affair remains up for debate. 

While he insists that he was “betrayed” by Schembri, questions remain over whether he was aware of his right-hand man’s machinations. 

Muscat and Schembri’s close friendship dates back to their teenage years and had worked intimately in orchestrating the Labour Party’s rise to power – and the many corruption allegations that came with it. 

Muscat enjoyed a close relationship with Fenech, which included a WhatsApp group with Schembri that was only closed a month before Fenech’s arrest. 

The WhatsApp group was opened just a day after Daphne’s murder. 

Muscat and Schembri were both involved in unprecedented briefings on the murder, with a wealth of information discussed there reaching Fenech’s ears.

He even invited Fenech to his private birthday party at Girgenti in February 2019, where the businessman gifted him with three Petrus wine bottles. 

Fenech has told police that he and Muscat had discussed the Caruana Galizia murder during the birthday party, but Muscat has dismissed this claim and said Fenech had actually apologised via message for not speaking to him at the party. 

Muscat has claimed that the Malta Security Services had advised him to act normally around Fenech so as not to arouse his suspicion that he was under investigation.

Muscat was forced to resign over the assassination and its links to his office, which included providing Theuma with the phantom job. 

However, he has so far escaped any criminal action, whether that’s with regard to the attempted cover-up or the many corruption scandals that occurred during his tenure, most of which featured in Daphne’s reporting. 

Meanwhile, Muscat continues his libel case against the heirs of Daphne over the Egrant case. 

Bonus: Unnamed suspects

While Police Commissioner Angelo Gafa told a court that “all the suspects in the case had been arrested”, the Attorney General’s office has spoken very differently. 

“The probability is that there are other persons also involved,” Deputy AG Philip Galea Farrugia told a court in February 2022. 

In a recording played in open court, Fenech claimed there could up to could be up to four other people involved in the plot.

And while that could reference any of the people involved above, some testimonies have suggested that there were other actors who are yet to be named in open court. 

Theuma has claimed that Cremona said that freemasons were going to pay Vince Muscat €100,000 for the murder. 

He also claimed that Cremona had said that there two middlemen in the plot from Chris Cardona’s Economy Ministry, adding that the unnamed person was close to Cardona. 

It remains to be seen whether investigations will develop. But it’s clear that the case involving the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia is far from closed. 

Justice is yet to be delivered and we will continue waiting and fighting for the truth to emerge. 

Is the case closed?