A BUSINESSMAN arrested seven years ago over the murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has gone on trial in Malta.

Yorgen Fenech, 44, is charged with orchestrating the assassination of Ms Caruana Galizia, who was killed when a bomb placed in her car exploded as she drove away from her home in 2017. 

Ms Caruana Galizia was one of the most recognised media figures in the country, with her reports on leading government and business figures making her a target of repeated attacks.

At the time, she was investigating corruption allegations linked to an offshore company called 17 Black, which was later revealed to be owned by Mr Fenech.

Prosecutors allege Mr Fenech commissioned former taxi driver Melvin Theuma to find someone to carry out the murder. 

Mr Theuma confessed to hiring three men to plant the bomb, telling authorities he received €150,000 (£130,000) from Mr Fenech as payment. 

Two of the men who supplied the bomb were given life sentences in 2025, while a third received a reduced sentence in exchange for information.

Mr Fenech was arrested in 2019 attempting to flee on a yacht, according to authorities. 

Media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders said: “This historic trial must expose the truth about the despicable criminal plot and the deadly chain of events that led to the execution of a journalist within the European Union.”

The killing led to the resignation of then premier Joseph Muscat in 2020 following mass protests over his government’s handling of the investigation. 

A public inquiry concluded the state “shouldered responsibility” for the murder due to an “atmosphere of impunity.”

Mr Fenech denies the charges and the trial is expected to last for several weeks.