The Daphne Record

Criminal record

Criminal justice tracker

One row for each person and each track of proceedings: the charges brought, the plea entered, the court dates on the record, the outcome, and what that outcome does not establish. Rows are derived from the same records used by the court cases page and the event ledger, so the three cannot diverge.

Rows
21
Convicted
5
Acquitted
1
Proceedings open
2
Not charged
12
No file reference
21

21 of 21 rows

  1. Yorgen Fenech

    Acquitted at first instance

    Businessman; reported owner of 17 Black and a director of the Electrogas consortium

    Assassination prosecution · Court of Magistrates (Malta); Criminal Court (Malta), trial by jury

    Charges
    Complicity in wilful homicide; Criminal association
    Plea
    Not guilty
    Outcome
    Acquitted by a jury on an 8-1 verdict on 2 September 2026 of complicity in the murder and of criminal association. He continues to deny ordering the killing.
    Sentence
    None, acquitted on the murder charges.
    Court dates
    Arrested: 19 November 2019 · Arraigned and charged: 30 November 2019 · Trial by jury: July–September 2026 · Verdict: 2 September 2026
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    An acquittal is a finding that the charges were not proved to the criminal standard. It does not establish who commissioned the murder, and it makes no finding on the separate corruption matters reported in her work.

    Next step on the record
    Whether the prosecution appeals the acquittal, and whether any further person is charged with commissioning the murder. Neither is established on the cited record.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 3 sources

    Timeline: 2019-11-fenech-arrestTimeline: 2026-07-testimonyTimeline: 2026-09-fenech-acquitted

  2. Alfred Degiorgio

    Convicted and sentenced, no appeal recorded

    Charged with carrying out the bombing

    Assassination prosecution · Court of Magistrates (Malta), sitting as a court of criminal inquiry; Criminal Court (Malta), trial by jury

    Charges
    Wilful homicide; Use of an explosive device; Criminal association
    Plea
    Not guilty at arraignment; pleaded guilty on the first day of trial
    Outcome
    Convicted on his own guilty plea on 14 October 2022.
    Sentence
    40 years' imprisonment.
    Court dates
    Arraigned: 5 December 2017 · Guilty plea and sentence: 14 October 2022
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    The plea establishes his part in carrying out the killing. It does not establish who paid for it or why.

    Next step on the record
    None recorded. The conviction followed a guilty plea.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 3 sources

    Timeline: 2017-12-chargesTimeline: 2022-10-degiorgio

  3. George Degiorgio

    Convicted and sentenced, no appeal recorded

    Charged with carrying out the bombing; admitted detonating the device

    Assassination prosecution · Court of Magistrates (Malta), sitting as a court of criminal inquiry; Criminal Court (Malta), trial by jury

    Charges
    Wilful homicide; Use of an explosive device; Criminal association
    Plea
    Not guilty at arraignment; pleaded guilty on the first day of trial
    Outcome
    Convicted on his own guilty plea on 14 October 2022.
    Sentence
    40 years' imprisonment.
    Court dates
    Arraigned: 5 December 2017 · Guilty plea and sentence: 14 October 2022
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    The plea establishes his part in carrying out the killing. It does not establish who paid for it or why.

    Next step on the record
    None recorded. The conviction followed a guilty plea.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 3 sources

    Timeline: 2017-12-chargesTimeline: 2022-10-degiorgio

  4. Vincent Muscat

    Convicted and sentenced, no appeal recorded

    Charged with carrying out the bombing (no relation to Joseph Muscat)

    Assassination prosecution · Court of Magistrates (Malta), sitting as a court of criminal inquiry; Criminal Court (Malta)

    Charges
    Wilful homicide; Use of an explosive device; Criminal association
    Plea
    Not guilty at arraignment; pleaded guilty in February 2021
    Outcome
    Convicted on his guilty plea on 23 February 2021. Reporting recorded that his cooperation with investigators contributed to further arrests.
    Sentence
    15 years' imprisonment, reduced in view of his cooperation.
    Court dates
    Arraigned: 5 December 2017 · Guilty plea and sentence: 23 February 2021
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    The plea and the reported cooperation do not establish the chain of commissioning above the men who planted the device.

    Next step on the record
    None recorded. The conviction followed a guilty plea.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 3 sources

    Timeline: 2017-12-chargesTimeline: 2021-02-vince-muscat

  5. Robert Agius

    Convicted and sentenced, appeal rejected

    Accused of supplying and procuring the bomb

    Assassination prosecution · Criminal Court (Malta), trial by jury; Court of Criminal Appeal (Malta)

    Charges
    Complicity in wilful homicide; Supplying the explosive device; Criminal association
    Plea
    Not guilty
    Outcome
    Convicted by a jury on 10 June 2025. His appeal against conviction was rejected on 21 January 2026.
    Sentence
    Life imprisonment.
    Court dates
    Arrested: 23 February 2021 · Convicted and sentenced: 10 June 2025 · Appeal rejected: 21 January 2026
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    The convictions concern the supply and procurement of the device. They do not establish who ordered the killing.

    Next step on the record
    No further domestic appeal is recorded after the January 2026 rejection. Any constitutional or European application is not established here.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 3 sources

    Timeline: 2021-02-vince-muscatTimeline: 2025-06-agius-vella

  6. Jamie Vella

    Convicted and sentenced, appeal rejected

    Accused of supplying and procuring the bomb

    Assassination prosecution · Criminal Court (Malta), trial by jury; Court of Criminal Appeal (Malta)

    Charges
    Complicity in wilful homicide; Supplying the explosive device; Criminal association
    Plea
    Not guilty
    Outcome
    Convicted by a jury on 10 June 2025. His appeal against conviction was rejected on 21 January 2026.
    Sentence
    Life imprisonment.
    Court dates
    Arrested: 23 February 2021 · Convicted and sentenced: 10 June 2025 · Appeal rejected: 21 January 2026
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    The convictions concern the supply and procurement of the device. They do not establish who ordered the killing.

    Next step on the record
    No further domestic appeal is recorded after the January 2026 rejection. Any constitutional or European application is not established here.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 3 sources

    Timeline: 2021-02-vince-muscatTimeline: 2025-06-agius-vella

  7. Melvin Theuma

    Cooperating under a conditional pardon

    Described in the proceedings as the middleman between those who planted the bomb and whoever commissioned it

    Assassination, cooperating witness · Office of the President of Malta; Court of Magistrates

    Charges
    Charges in relation to the murder were covered by a conditional presidential pardon; he faced separate, unrelated proceedings
    Plea
    Admitted his role as middleman under the terms of the pardon
    Outcome
    Granted a conditional presidential pardon in November 2019 in exchange for testifying truthfully, and gave evidence as a prosecution witness. The pardon is conditional on the truthfulness of his testimony.
    Sentence
    No sentence for the murder, subject to the conditions of the pardon.
    Court dates
    Pardon granted: 25 November 2019 · Gave evidence in the compilation: December 2019
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    Testimony given under a conditional pardon is evidence, not a finding. What it establishes was for the courts hearing it to weigh, and in the 2026 jury trial it did not produce a conviction.

    Next step on the record
    The pardon is conditional on the truthfulness of his testimony. No published decision revoking or confirming it has been located.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 2 sources

    Timeline: 2019-11-fenech-arrest

  8. Keith Schembri

    Not charged in relation to the assassination

    Chief of staff to Prime Minister Joseph Muscat, 2013 to 2019

    Named in evidence, not charged over the assassination · No proceedings recorded in relation to the assassination

    Charges
    No charge recorded in relation to the assassination
    Plea
    Not applicable, no charge recorded
    Outcome
    Never charged over the murder. Charged in separate corruption proceedings, including the 17 Black case in 2025; pleaded not guilty.
    Sentence
    None recorded.
    Court dates
    None recorded for this row.
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    The 2021 public inquiry board found, according to reporting of its report, that Schembri interfered in FIAU and police investigations into 17 Black and the Panama Papers. A magisterial inquiry concluded that he and Konrad Mizzi planned corrupt payments connected to the Electrogas energy deal, and he was charged on that basis in 2025. Melvin Theuma testified about contacts concerning a possible bail arrangement for the Degiorgio brothers. Police have said Schembri was not a suspect in the murder. Response on the record: Schembri denies all wrongdoing and denies any involvement in the murder; he has pleaded not guilty in the corruption proceedings. Nothing in this row is a finding of criminal responsibility.

    Next step on the record
    Any further step in these proceedings is a matter for the courts and is not established here.

    Citation verified · 1 primary document · 3 sources

    Timeline: 2021-03-schembri-chargedTimeline: 2018-11-17blackTimeline: 2016-02-schembri-panama

  9. Konrad Mizzi

    Not charged in relation to the assassination

    Energy minister and later tourism minister, 2013 to 2019

    Named in evidence, not charged over the assassination · No proceedings recorded in relation to the assassination

    Charges
    No charge recorded in relation to the assassination
    Plea
    Not applicable, no charge recorded
    Outcome
    Never charged over the murder. Charged in the 17 Black corruption case in February 2025; pleaded not guilty.
    Sentence
    None recorded.
    Court dates
    None recorded for this row.
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    A magisterial inquiry found that the Electrogas power station contract was most likely structured so that companies linked to Mizzi and Keith Schembri would benefit through 17 Black. Mizzi's Panama company was disclosed in the 2016 Panama Papers reporting that Caruana Galizia pursued until her death. Response on the record: Mizzi denies wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty to the 2025 charges. Nothing in this row is a finding of criminal responsibility.

    Next step on the record
    Any further step in these proceedings is a matter for the courts and is not established here.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 2 sources

    Timeline: 2016-02-mizzi-panamaTimeline: 2018-11-17blackTimeline: 2016-04-reshuffle

  10. Joseph Muscat

    Not charged in relation to the assassination

    Prime Minister of Malta, 2013 to January 2020

    Named in evidence, not charged over the assassination · No proceedings recorded in relation to the assassination

    Charges
    No charge recorded in relation to the assassination
    Plea
    Not applicable, no charge recorded
    Outcome
    Never charged in connection with the murder. Charged in May 2024 in the separate Vitals hospitals case; denies wrongdoing.
    Sentence
    None recorded.
    Court dates
    None recorded for this row.
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    The 2021 public inquiry found that the state must bear responsibility for creating an atmosphere of impunity that began at the highest levels of the administration he led, while finding no evidence that the state ordered the killing. Former security officer Kenneth Camilleri testified that Muscat told him it was better not to know about contacts between Keith Schembri and Melvin Theuma. Response on the record: Muscat rejects the inquiry's characterisation of his government and denies any culpability for the murder. Nothing in this row is a finding of criminal responsibility.

    Next step on the record
    Any further step in these proceedings is a matter for the courts and is not established here.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 2 sources

    Timeline: 2021-07-inquiryTimeline: 2020-01-muscat-resignsTimeline: 2024-05-muscat-vitals-charges

  11. Michelle Muscat

    Not charged in relation to the assassination

    Wife of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat

    Named in evidence, not charged over the assassination · No proceedings recorded in relation to the assassination

    Charges
    No charge recorded in relation to the assassination
    Plea
    Not applicable, no charge recorded
    Outcome
    Never charged. A magisterial inquiry found no evidence to support the allegation against her.
    Sentence
    None recorded.
    Court dates
    None recorded for this row.
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    In April 2017 Caruana Galizia's blog alleged that declarations of trust held in the Pilatus Bank safe showed the Panama company Egrant Inc. held for Michelle Muscat. The Egrant magisterial inquiry, whose conclusions were published in 2018 and 2019, reported that it found no evidence that she owned the company. Response on the record: Michelle Muscat denied the allegation, testifying that she is the owner of nothing and calling the story fabricated. Nothing in this row is a finding of criminal responsibility.

    Next step on the record
    Any further step in these proceedings is a matter for the courts and is not established here.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 2 sources

    Timeline: 2018-07-egrant

  12. Chris Cardona

    Not charged in relation to the assassination

    Economy minister, 2013 to 2020

    Named in evidence, not charged over the assassination · No proceedings recorded in relation to the assassination

    Charges
    No charge recorded in relation to the assassination
    Plea
    Not applicable, no charge recorded
    Outcome
    Never charged in connection with the murder.
    Sentence
    None recorded.
    Court dates
    None recorded for this row.
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    Caruana Galizia reported an allegation that Cardona had visited a brothel in Germany during an official trip. He denied it and sued her for libel, then dropped the case. A court later rejected a claim brought by her heirs over garnishee orders he had obtained against her assets. Response on the record: Cardona denies the brothel allegation and denies any connection to the murder. Nothing in this row is a finding of criminal responsibility.

    Next step on the record
    Any further step in these proceedings is a matter for the courts and is not established here.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 2 sources

    Timeline: 2015-12-defamationTimeline: 2014-11-libel-suits

  13. Johann Cremona

    Not charged in relation to the assassination

    Businessman and former business associate of Yorgen Fenech

    Named in evidence, not charged over the assassination · No proceedings recorded in relation to the assassination

    Charges
    No charge recorded in relation to the assassination
    Plea
    Not applicable, no charge recorded
    Outcome
    Never charged. Testified as a prosecution witness.
    Sentence
    None recorded.
    Court dates
    None recorded for this row.
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    Cremona testified in 2026 that Melvin Theuma repeatedly told him Fenech had ordered and paid for the murder, and he acknowledged that he discouraged Theuma from going to the police. Nothing in this row is a finding of criminal responsibility.

    Next step on the record
    Any further step in these proceedings is a matter for the courts and is not established here.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 1 sources

    Timeline: 2026-07-testimony

  14. Kenneth Camilleri

    Not charged in relation to the assassination

    Former security officer at the Office of the Prime Minister

    Named in evidence, not charged over the assassination · No proceedings recorded in relation to the assassination

    Charges
    No charge recorded in relation to the assassination
    Plea
    Not applicable, no charge recorded
    Outcome
    Never charged. Declined to testify in 2020 citing possible self-incrimination; testified later.
    Sentence
    None recorded.
    Court dates
    None recorded for this row.
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    Camilleri was named in testimony as an intermediary in contacts about a possible bail arrangement for the Degiorgio brothers, and testified that Joseph Muscat told him it was better not to know about contacts between Keith Schembri and Melvin Theuma. Nothing in this row is a finding of criminal responsibility.

    Next step on the record
    Any further step in these proceedings is a matter for the courts and is not established here.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 1 sources

    Timeline: 2026-07-testimonyTimeline: 2019-11-theuma-pardon

  15. Edwin Brincat, known as il-Ġojja

    Not charged in relation to the assassination

    Close associate of Melvin Theuma

    Named in evidence, not charged over the assassination · No proceedings recorded in relation to the assassination

    Charges
    No charge recorded in relation to the assassination
    Plea
    Not applicable, no charge recorded
    Outcome
    Never charged with the murder. Prosecution witness.
    Sentence
    None recorded.
    Court dates
    None recorded for this row.
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    Brincat testified about Theuma's account of the plot and about the making of the secret recordings later used in evidence, and was arrested alongside Theuma in November 2019. Nothing in this row is a finding of criminal responsibility.

    Next step on the record
    Any further step in these proceedings is a matter for the courts and is not established here.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 1 sources

    Timeline: 2026-07-testimony

  16. Silvio Valletta

    Not charged in relation to the assassination

    Former deputy police commissioner who initially led the murder investigation

    Named in evidence, not charged over the assassination · No proceedings recorded in relation to the assassination

    Charges
    No charge recorded in relation to the assassination
    Plea
    Not applicable, no charge recorded
    Outcome
    Never charged. Removed from the investigation by court order for conflict of interest.
    Sentence
    None recorded.
    Court dates
    None recorded for this row.
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    The Caruana Galizia family argued successfully that Valletta should be barred from the investigation because he was married to a serving government minister. The constitutional court upheld his removal. The ruling concerned conflict of interest, not criminal wrongdoing. Nothing in this row is a finding of criminal responsibility.

    Next step on the record
    Any further step in these proceedings is a matter for the courts and is not established here.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 1 sources

  17. Lawrence Cutajar

    Not charged in relation to the assassination

    Police commissioner, 2016 to 2020

    Named in evidence, not charged over the assassination · No proceedings recorded in relation to the assassination

    Charges
    No charge recorded in relation to the assassination
    Plea
    Not applicable, no charge recorded
    Outcome
    Never charged. Resigned on 17 January 2020.
    Sentence
    None recorded.
    Court dates
    None recorded for this row.
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    The public inquiry and sustained reporting criticised the police force under Cutajar for failing to act on financial crime reports naming senior officials and for the conduct of the murder investigation. He resigned days after Robert Abela became prime minister. Nothing in this row is a finding of criminal responsibility.

    Next step on the record
    Any further step in these proceedings is a matter for the courts and is not established here.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 1 sources

    Timeline: 2020-01-muscat-resignsTimeline: 2021-07-inquiry

  18. Brian Tonna and Karl Cini (Nexia BT)

    Charged, proceedings continuing

    Partners in the accountancy firm that set up the offshore structures

    Related corruption or misconduct proceedings · Criminal courts of Malta, in proceedings separate from the assassination

    Charges
    See legal status; charges are in proceedings separate from the assassination
    Plea
    Recorded in the legal status field where cited coverage states it
    Outcome
    Charged in the 17 Black case in February 2025; pleaded not guilty. Not charged over the murder.
    Sentence
    None recorded.
    Court dates
    None recorded for this row.
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    Prosecutors allege that Tonna and Cini structured the Panama and Dubai vehicles used in the payments the 17 Black inquiry describes as corrupt. Keith Schembri was separately arrested in 2019 over an alleged kickback from Tonna linked to passport sale commissions. Response on the record: Both deny wrongdoing and pleaded not guilty. Nothing in this row is a finding of criminal responsibility.

    Next step on the record
    Any further step in these proceedings is a matter for the courts and is not established here.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 2 sources

    Timeline: 2013-07-panama-incorporationsTimeline: 2016-02-schembri-panamaTimeline: 2018-11-17black

  19. Pilatus Bank and Ali Sadr Hasheminejad

    Charged, proceedings continuing

    Maltese bank at the centre of the Egrant reporting, and its owner

    Related corruption or misconduct proceedings · Criminal courts of Malta, in proceedings separate from the assassination

    Charges
    See legal status; charges are in proceedings separate from the assassination
    Plea
    Recorded in the legal status field where cited coverage states it
    Outcome
    The bank was charged with money laundering in Malta in 2021 and its licence was withdrawn in 2018. Sadr was convicted in the United States in 2020; that conviction was vacated and the charges dropped by the Department of Justice in June 2020.
    Sentence
    None recorded.
    Court dates
    None recorded for this row.
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    Caruana Galizia alleged the bank facilitated politically connected transactions, including the Egrant arrangement. The Egrant inquiry reported red flags over large transactions linked to the Azerbaijani ruling family passing through the bank. Response on the record: Sadr denied wrongdoing throughout, and the United States charges against him were dropped. Nothing in this row is a finding of criminal responsibility.

    Next step on the record
    Any further step in these proceedings is a matter for the courts and is not established here.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 2 sources

    Timeline: 2018-07-egrant

  20. Electrogas Malta and 17 Black

    Not charged in relation to the assassination

    The power station consortium and the Dubai company named in her final reporting

    Named in evidence, not charged over the assassination · No proceedings recorded in relation to the assassination

    Charges
    No charge recorded in relation to the assassination
    Plea
    Not applicable, no charge recorded
    Outcome
    No criminal charges against the consortium itself. Individual officers and shareholders face charges in the 17 Black proceedings.
    Sentence
    None recorded.
    Court dates
    None recorded for this row.
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    Reporting by the Daphne Project partners and a magisterial inquiry allege that the Electrogas contract was structured so that 17 Black, identified by the FIAU as owned by Yorgen Fenech, would channel payments to Panama companies linked to Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi. Nothing in this row is a finding of criminal responsibility.

    Next step on the record
    Any further step in these proceedings is a matter for the courts and is not established here.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 2 sources

    Timeline: 2018-11-17blackTimeline: 2013-12-socar-lng

  21. Adrian Delia

    Not charged in relation to the assassination

    Leader of the Nationalist Party, 2017 to 2020

    Named in evidence, not charged over the assassination · No proceedings recorded in relation to the assassination

    Charges
    No charge recorded in relation to the assassination
    Plea
    Not applicable, no charge recorded
    Outcome
    Never charged. Included as a subject of her reporting, not as a murder suspect.
    Sentence
    None recorded.
    Court dates
    None recorded for this row.
    Case reference
    Not held. No court file number has been located in a primary document for this row.

    What this does not establish
    In August 2017 her blog alleged that takings from a London prostitution operation had passed through an account in his name in Jersey. Delia denies wrongdoing and disputes that characterisation of the funds. Response on the record: Delia denies the allegation. Nothing in this row is a finding of criminal responsibility.

    Next step on the record
    Any further step in these proceedings is a matter for the courts and is not established here.

    Citation verified · 0 primary documents · 1 sources

How this table is kept

  • No one has been convicted of commissioning the assassination. The men who carried it out, and two men convicted of supplying the device, have been convicted. That distinction is the point of this table.
  • Rows for people who have never been charged in relation to the assassination exist because their names appear in evidence, testimony or inquiry findings. Inclusion is not an accusation and the status field states the position in plain terms.
  • Court file references are recorded only from primary documents. Where the reference is not held, the row says so rather than reconstructing one from coverage.
  • Dates are taken from cited court coverage and primary documents. Where only a month or a period is recorded, the row shows that period rather than inventing a day.

Narrative coverage of the same proceedings is on the court cases page.