Escalation: Prosecutor Anthony Vella concludes case against Fenech

The prosecution ended its closing address, asking the jury to convict Yorgen Fenech of complicity in murder and of forming a group to carry it out. It set out a commission‑and‑finance case: recordings capture Melvin Theuma twice saying he received €150,000 and Fenech replying “I remember”. It also pressed Fenech’s €50,000 payment to Theuma and phone activity around Bidnija that matches Theuma’s stop‑start timeline around the 2017 election.

Jurors were taken through messages from the period just before his arrest, including exchanges with Ray Fenech about contacting “K” to use the airport’s VIP route and references to bank cards later found on him. The closing also cited a 25 November 2018 Bitcoin order on the dark web for two grenades, two Glock pistols, assault rifles and 700 rounds, worth about $66,000, and screenshots he saved of chats with Keith Schembri hours before he was detained.

Prosecutor Anthony Vella ended with, “he has his hands stained with Daphne Caruana Galizia’s blood,” calling the trial the “last chance” to deliver justice and urging jurors to focus on the evidence against Fenech rather than other names. The judge told jurors to disregard submissions about chats that were never placed in evidence. After the state sat down, the defence began its reply, disputing dates and arguing Theuma was promised a pardon before Fenech’s arrest; the judge will review the courtroom recording of that exchange before ruling.

AI-synthesized from multiple reported sources