Police felt Vince Muscat's information did not warrant presidential pardon

Police assessing Vince Muscat’s information about the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia intially felt that it was not enough to warrant a presidential pardon as it did not amount to direct evidence.

This emerged in court on Tuesday when Assistant Commissioner Keith Arnaud detailed the investigation during the trial by jury of Robert Agius (Ta' Maksar) and Jamie Vella, who are accused of supplying the bomb that killed Caruana Galizia. They are also facing charges with Adrian Agius (Ta' Maksar) and George Degiorgio (iċ-Ċiniż) for the 2015 murder of lawyer Carmel Chircop.

Arnaud described the scene on October 16, 2017: Caruana Galizia left home shortly before 3pm, forgot her chequebook, returned, and moments later, her car exploded. Her son, Matthew, witnessed the aftermath.

Two homicide squads led the investigation. Foreign experts, including the FBI and Dutch forensics, helped analyse the bombing. Cellular data revealed two key SIM cards—one used to trigger the bomb via SMS, the other used to send the message. The device used wasn’t a phone but a remote-control trigger.

The police linked the number used at sea near Lower Barrakka Gardens to George Degiorgio. The Degiorgio brothers and Muscat were known to frequent a Marsa potato shed where their boats were moored.

Further investigation identified more SIM cards used by Alfred Degiorgio and Vince Muscat, which had connected to cell towers in Bidnija and other relevant locations before the murder. Call records and movement patterns suggested coordination between the suspects.

With mounting evidence, police planned coordinated arrests for December 4, 2017. The Degiorgio brothers, Muscat, and others were apprehended at the potato shed. Muscat’s phone was retrieved from the seabed while Alfred Degiorgio's phone was on the ground. George Degiorgio did not have a phone with him, but Arnaud noticed that Degiorgio had his partner’s number written on the wrist. This led Arnaud to suspect that George Degiorgio may have known about his arrest.  Robert Agius and Jamie Vella were arrested at a Mosta farmhouse, and Miguel Caruana was also taken in after topping up Degiorgio’s phone on the day of the murder.

The police recovered a total of seven mobile phones from the sea.

Interrogations began on December 5. Jamie Vella and Robert Agius refused legal assistance and offered limited cooperation. Vella denied involvement in the murder and failed to give a clear account of his whereabouts. Agius admitted using the Żebbuġ garage where the bomb is suspected to have been stored but denied knowledge of any criminal activity.

Meanwhile, police began monitoring calls made from prison by the Degiorgio brothers and Muscat. They frequently referenced a mysterious third party—later identified as Melvin Theuma—who offered encouragement and promises of food, among other things.

In March 2018, Muscat’s lawyer, Arthur Azzopardi, approached police saying his client wanted to cooperate. During three discreet meetings, Muscat revealed Theuma’s involvement and said he was promised €10,000 to assist with the assassination. He described using binoculars and burner phones to monitor Caruana Galizia, renting cars to reach vantage points, and eventually receiving the bomb from Agius and Vella.

Muscat’s revelations linked the bomb to the type used in the attempted murder of Romeo Bone earlier in 2017. He also noted the trio had considered shooting Caruana Galizia while she worked at her laptop.

Despite Muscat’s cooperation, the police felt the evidence he provided was largely hearsay. A request for a presidential pardon was declined following an April 2018 meeting at the Office of the Prime Minister attended by the Attorney General. Investigations into Theuma continued, based on Muscat’s testimony and intercepted prison calls.

By mid-2018, Muscat and his family feared for their safety. Police increased patrols in his neighbourhood, and Muscat reported being confronted by the Degiorgio brothers after his cooperation became known. He became anxious and threatened to withdraw his statements. In October 2019, Azzopardi dropped Muscat’s case and Muscat temporarily stopped speaking to police.

Police continued to monitor Melvin Theuma and eventually arrested him in November 2019 on money laundering charges, using the opportunity to access recordings he had of conversations about the murder. Theuma later received a presidential pardon and began cooperating.

Muscat resumed cooperation in December 2019, this time with a new lawyer, Marc Sant. He gave further information about the lead-up to the murder and referenced a 2014–15 plot, though the police reiterated that they could not secure a pardon for Muscat due to the lack of direct evidence as Muscat had never dealt with Melvin Theuma directly.

Muscat was granted a presidential pardon for revealing information about the 2015 murder of Carmel Chircop. 

The trial continues on Wednesday.