Times Talk: Inside the second week of the trial of Yorgen Fenech
Chats and chilling details unpacked in a new, 26-minute episode out now
As the second week of Yorgen Fenech's trial comes to a close, Times of Malta court reporter Clara Farrugia and Mark Laurence Zammit sit down for a new Times Talk episode to unpack the details of the courtroom drama that is gripping the nation.
Among the most chilling moments this week was the testimony of Frans Sant, the last man to see Daphne Caruana Galizia alive. Sant shared a heartbreaking account of her final seconds, describing how she panicked behind the wheel after a small initial spark, just moments before the main bomb tore through her car.
The 26-minute episode explains how experts discovered the assassination unfolded in this two-stage explosion, giving the victim a brief, terrifying realisation of what was about to happen.
The episode also covers the graphic images of the crime scene shown to jurors, as well as text messages read by the chief police investigator. Those chats appear to show Fenech planning a secret escape from Malta by boat or plane in 2019, just before his arrest.
The discussion also dives into court-exhibited screenshots of conversations between Fenech and then-OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri discussing lawyers and middleman Melvin Theuma's draft presidential pardon, among other things.
It also explains how proceedings developed as Yorgen Fenech's lawyer cross-examined chief investigator Keith Arnaud, bringing up numerous names connected to politics and the police.
The podcast also unpacks what the jurors asked in court this week and explains the details surrounding Caruana Galizia's laptop and Keith Schembri's lost phone.
If the dense courtroom developments have been confusing, this episode helps connect all the pieces.
Watch the full episode on Times of Malta or YouTube, or listen on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.