Judge Sums Up Evidence as Yorgen Fenech Murder Trial Enters Final Stage
· Updated
In brief
- Judge Edwina Grima continued her final address to the jury on the 54th day of businessman Yorgen Fenech's murder trial.
- Jurors were cautioned that the presidential pardon granted to middleman Melvin Theuma does not mean his testimony is automatically truthful.
- The judicial summing up marks the concluding stage of the trial before the jury retires to deliberate on a verdict.
The trial by jury of businessman Yorgen Fenech has reached its final stages as Madam Justice Edwina Grima continued delivering her summing up of the case to the jurors. Fenech stands accused of complicity in the 2017 assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
The proceedings entered their 54th day in the Criminal Court, with the judge giving comprehensive legal directions and reviewing the extensive evidence produced over months of sittings.
During her address, the judge provided guidance on how jurors must evaluate the credibility of key prosecution witnesses. She drew attention to the testimony given by self-confessed middleman Melvin Theuma, who was granted a presidential pardon in exchange for evidence detailing the murder plot.
The judge instructed the jury that a presidential pardon does not mean a witness's claims are automatically truthful. She advised jurors to examine Theuma's testimony with caution and weigh it alongside corroborating evidence before arriving at any conclusions.
The judicial address represents the final procedural step before the jury is sequestered. Once the judge concludes her directions, the nine jurors will retire to deliberate on a verdict behind closed doors.
Fenech has maintained his innocence and denied all charges throughout the proceedings.
The Spin Room
Low media divide. Both outlets reported the courtroom proceedings factually, concentrating on the judge's directions to the jury.