Compilation of evidence against Yorgen Fenech resumes on 1 June

The compilation of evidence against Yorgen Fenech will restart again in court on 1 June.

The case against the former Tumas Group director, who is charged with masterminding the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, was put on hold after the law courts on 16 March closed for most cases, due to COVID-19.

Melvin Theuma, the middleman in the murder, is testifying in the compilation of evidence against Fenech, after he was given a presidential pardon to tell all.

Fenech's case is separate from the trial against brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio and Vince Muscat, the alleged executors of the murder who are suspected of planting the car bomb which killed Caruana Galizia in October 2017.

This month, controversy erupted after Charles Mercieca, a junior lawyer on the Attorney General's litigation team, left the AG's office to join Fenech's defence team.

In April, a court an application by Fenech to have his detention declared unlawful in the light of legal notices declaring the indefinite suspension of court hearings.

Earlier in May, another court turned down an application filed by Fenech in which he asked it to order that his compilation of evidence continue.

Magistrate Rachel Montebello is hearing the compilation of evidence against Fenech.

The defence lawyers are Marion Camilleri and Gianluca Caruana Curran.

The prosecution is being led by inspectors Keith Arnaud and Kurt Zahra, assisted by the Attorney General.

Lawyers Jason Azzopardi and Therese Comodini Cachia are appearing parte civile for the Caruana Galizia family.