Yorgen Fenech’s lawyer wants to see a copy of the tax settlement agreement reached by Daphne Caruana Galizia's family following her assassination as the the family's €5 million action for damages resumed on Thursday.

The request was made and minuted by Anna Mallia, Fenech’s lawyer in the civil proceedings filed by Peter Caruana Galizia and his sons against five men currently accused of involvement in her murder plot. 

The case was filed against the business tycoon, accused as accomplice in the assassination, along with George and Alfred Degiorgio, who allegedly carried out the car bomb explosion, as well as self-confessed hitman Vincent Muscat and middleman Melvin Theuma. 

In a previous sitting, Mallia had asked for copies of the journalist’s tax returns. 

But her husband, lawyer Peter Caruana Galizia, on Thursday informed the court, presided over by Madam Justice Anna Felice, that he had not managed to trace his wife’s tax returns and, therefore, could not produce the requested copies. 

As for the settlement reached with the tax commissioner, referred to in an affidavit presented by the applicants on Thursday in an “amplified” version, Caruana Galizia explained that he would have to trace a copy. 

“I know that all is clear. I paid and got it over with,” he said, as Fenech’s lawyer minuted her request, supplementing it with an explanation. 

“Others who own a Mercedes and cannot justify that with their income, are arraigned over money laundering charges. This court cannot be complicit in money laundering,” Mallia remarked. 

Judge Felice promptly replied: “Please be careful how you put that.” 

Fenech is challenging the €5 million garnishee order requested by the applicants and upheld against the businessman and 57 of his companies, arguing that it is “arbitrary, exaggerated and abusive”.

On Thursday, the journalist’s husband said in court that the family had filed a counter-warrant whittling down the 57 companies originally targeted to “under 10” to eliminate certain problems that cropped up on account of the garnishee order.

A similar challenge was put up by Theuma in separate proceedings presided over by Mr Justice Grazio Mercieca, resulting in a reduction of the value of the garnishee order to €2.1 million. 

The court declared that documents related to the records of the case were to be kept in chambers and were to be accessible only to the parties and their lawyers. 

The case was deferred to June. 

Lawyer Joseph Zammit Maempel assisted the Caruana Galizia family.