Joseph Muscat urged Yorgen Fenech "to control" murder middleman Melvin Theuma, the businessman told police during his interrogation over the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia. 

The conversation with the then prime minister allegedly took place, months before Fenech was accused of complicity in the murder. 

The claims were denied by Joseph Muscat in a statement shortly after the court testimony ended.

During the compilation of evidence against Fenech on Thursday, inspector Keith Zahra said the businessman claimed Muscat had twice spoken to him after the murder, once summoning him to Auberge de Castille and then at the Girgenti party.

Fenech claimed Muscat warned him about an upcoming police raid on Theuma in summer 2019, and told him to make sure that "he controlled" the middleman.

Theuma is the taxi driver was given a presidential pardon to tell all about Caruana Galizia's assassination in October 2017.

"In Yorgen Fenech’s chats we found that he was invited to the party at Girgenti. In one message the prime minister asked if Yorgen Fenech had enjoyed the event," Zahra told court.

Fenech's response: “Yes but I didn’t speak to you because you were surrounded by guests and I’m rather shy.”

Fenech had allegedly been asked by Muscat at a different meeting in Castille “do you trust him [Melvin Theuma]?”

“Not really because he’s recording me," Fenech replied.

Last June, Times of Malta reported that Fenech had also told investigators in November that Muscat had asked him if Schembri had featured in the recordings.

Muscat had responded that although he was unaware what was said in any statements to the police, or how many versions were given, the claims were unfounded and part of a reputation-tarnishing campaign.

Meanwhile, inspector Zahra said that both Fenech and Theuma were aware of the date of the 2017 general election back in December 2016.

During the lengthy testimony, Zahra said Fenech insisted it was former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri who had hatched the journalist's murder. 

“There were three persons who knew this after the murder… Joseph Muscat, Adrian Vella and Johann Cremona,” Zahra recalls Fenech telling investigators.

Muscat denies all

In a reaction, Joseph Muscat said that he wanted to clarify matters to avoid misinterpretation of what was said in court.  

He said he had no prior knowledge of the murder and did not discuss it afterward with Yorgen Fenech.  It was Fenech himself who was heard saying in recordings that it "would be madness" to speak to him, Muscat said.

Furthermore, the police had in their possession a message from Fenech on the day of the supposed conversation, where Fenech apologised for not speaking to him because there were many people around.

This contradicted what was said in the statement to the police. 

Furthermore, while public and corroborated information showed that he did not have the alleged conversation, it would have been impossible for him to tell Fenech about raids planned for the summer because those raids were planned much later, as the police had confirmed.

This again contradicted what was said in Fenech's statement to the police.  

Muscat said that Fenech's claims about him were made after the government turned down his request for a pardon. The claims were made after he was threatened that he would be tarnished if he did not recommend a pardon. He had disclosed this to an inquiring magistrate at his own request. 

Muscat insisted that he had always done his duty as prime minister and as a result there was a breakthrough in this major case, in contrast to other major crimes in the past.