Businessman Yorgen Fenech was in regular phone contact with the Prime Minister’s former chief of staff Keith Schembri and spoke to him over the phone hours before his arrest. 

An analysis of the businessman’s phone data has revealed that one of the last calls Mr Fenech made before he sailed out of Portomaso marina aboard his yacht on Wednesday morning was to Mr Schembri. 

The two spoke at length, sources said. 

“Investigators are looking through Fenech’s phone and the Schembri call leapt out,” they said, adding that they would be parsing phone data in the coming days. 

They suspect that Mr Schembri was keeping Mr Fenech updated on the ongoing murder case.   

The businessman is considered a person of interest in the case of murdered
journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia and has reportedly told investigators that he has incriminating information about Mr Schembri. 

Mr Schembri handed the Prime Minister Joseph Muscat his resignation on Monday night and was questioned by police during the day. Police officers were seen at his Mellieħa home during the morning.

Mr Fenech was released on police bail without charge for the third time in a week on Tuesday afternoon. He is seeking a pardon in exchange for further information about the crimes.