A massive trove of data seized from murder suspect Yorgen Fenech’s personal devices is expected to be presented in the compilation of evidence against him on Monday.
Europol experts have flown to Malta to present the trove of e-mails, phone messages, images and other documents, which have been the subject of numerous investigations over the past year.
Sources say the data provides insight into Fenech’s intimate connections with the top echelons of power, including former prime minister Joseph Muscat and his right-hand man Keith Schembri.
Muscat, Schembri and former energy minister Konrad Mizzi have all been questioned by police about their chats with the murder suspect.
However, those same sources say the data analysed so far has not thrown up any new evidence about other people potentially being involved in the commissioning of Daphne Caruana Galizia’s murder.
The investigative journalist was killed by a car bomb not far from her home in October 2017.
Fenech has claimed it was Schembri who ordered the killing, though investigators have so far been unable to corroborate that claim.
Schembri is suspected of leaking sensitive details of the murder investigation to Fenech, including tip-offs about impending arrests and other key developments.
Investigators are believed to have screenshots of chats between Fenech and Schembri in the hours prior to his alleged attempt to flee the island.
Other chats are said to contain advice by Fenech’s uncle, Ray Fenech, about how to avoid detection after leaving the island.
Probes triggered after messages found on phone
Fenech has denied any attempt to flee justice, insisting he was merely taking his luxury yacht for its annual service on the morning of his arrest in November 2019.
The possible existence of a parallel plot using the same alleged assassins to kill the journalist has not yet been ruled out.
Schembri allegedly authored a letter to Fenech after his arrest, guiding him through how to pin the murder plot on former economy minister Chris Cardona who has denied any involvement in the plot.
Police Commissioner Angelo Gafà told the public inquiry into the murder that the motive behind her assassination was still to be established.
Sources say the data had thrown up much stronger leads when it came to Fenech’s intricate web of influence over politicians and key regulators.
A number of investigations have been triggered by the Financial Crimes Investigation Department as a result of messages found on Fenech’s phone.
Last week, Joe Cuschieri resigned as CEO of the financial regulator over a trip he took with Fenech to Las Vegas in May 2018.
Heathcliff Farrugia, the former chief of the gaming and casino regulator, was questioned by police about his chats with Fenech earlier this year.
Farrugia has since resigned as Malta Gaming Authority CEO.
Former opposition leader, Adrian Delia, was forced into a leadership contest which he lost after revelations that he continued to entertain Whatsapp chats with Fenech, even after it was known that he owned 17 Black.
Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis and parliamentary secretary Rosianne Cutajar are also understood to have exchanged a notable amount of chats with the murder suspect in 2019.