Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis has testified at the public inquiry into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Friday’s sitting took place on the third anniversary of her assassination in a car bomb outside her Bidnija home.
Zammit Lewis was the latest in a string of ministers to give evidence in the inquiry, which was set up last year to establish if the State could have prevented her death.
In Friday's session, the minister says he:
- Stopped messages with Yorgen Fenech before his November arrest;
- Confirms he was at a party in Girgenti that Fenech attended when he was a murder suspect;
- Kept in touch with Fenech after it was revealed he was the owner of secret company 17 Black but points out he was not justice minister at the time;
- Told Joseph Muscat that Konrad Mizzi ought to resign on his own steam after his name surfaced in the Panama Papers.
LIVE BLOG
That's all for today
11.31 After two hours of testimony, Zammit Lewis steps off the stand. The inquiry continues on Monday when Electrogas shareholder Paul Apap Bologna will be back.
Stopped messages with Fenech before arrest
11.23am Questioning turns back to messages between the justice minister and Yorgen Fenech.
Lawyer for the Caruana Galizia family, Jason Azzopardi asks him if the communication stopped after his arrest in November 2019 over the murder.
"I believe it was well before," he replies.
After Panama Papers in 2016, did he feel uncomfortable keeping up a friendship with Keith Schembri, he is asked.
Zammit Lewis confirmed "many vacations" with Keith Schembri but clarified that most were with Joseph Muscat. They always holidayed in couples or groups of 15 or so, he later adds.
Asked when he knew that Yorgen Fenech was a person of interest in the murder he said he was never told officially.
"But I was incredulous and shocked when information came to light in the press," he says.
Did he discuss it with Yorgen Fenech?
"Not at all".
Zammit Lewis confirms that he had meals with Fenech in public places.
"I always assumed good faith. Otherwise I would not have been seen with him in public," he says.
He says Fenech and Schembri never spoke of business in his presence.
Joseph Muscat's resignation
11.19am Turning to Joseph Muscat's resignation as prime minister, Zammit Lewis describes this as a "good decision".
He admits he was "emotional about it".
"When I saw Joseph Muscat leaving in that way, I felt he ought never to have ended his political career in that way. A lot of good had been done. But even the fact that there had to be this public inquiry, the facts that gave rise to it, leaves a mark on this country."
Betrayal and public flak
11.16am Zammit Lewis is now asked about a marathon cabinet meeting after Fenech was arrested and protesters took to the street late last year.
Zammit Lewis agrees that there was a feeling of betrayal. He says: "Yes it was shocking."
"I was a lawyer and I ventured into politics. Yes, it was betrayal to note that someone did not move in the same forward direction," he says.
"The facts of November and December 2019 were worrying. Going to parliament and facing public flak, insults was not a pleasant experience," he recalls.
'We are bound by collective decisions'
11.12am Justice Said Pullicino says that large projects like Electrogas and Vitals all happened before the assassination, all caused controversy and all involved the same ministry.
"Government seems to have done nothing to stop them", he says. "Why no reaction from cabinet? Why did no one demand explanations from the minister? It caused harm to party and country."
Zammit Lewis responds that there were reactions at cabinet but these were not in the public domain.
"It doesn’t mean that the members did not express reaction and discuss but then a common position is taken. That’s what is seen from outside. Our political system is based on collectivity. We are bound by collective decision."
He agrees that these large projects were handled by the same ministry.
ITS land project
11.05am Questions turn to the controversial ITS Pembroke land transfer to Silvio Debono's DB group.
Zammit Lewis says he had nothing to do with the project, handled by Projects Malta under Konrad Mizzi.
He said he had got questions from Times of Malta and had directed them to Konrad Mizzi's ministry.
Judge Mallia points out, reading from a press cutting, quoting Zammit Lewis saying that it was a good deal for Malta.
Zammit Lewis denies saying that. What’s your position now, he is asked.
"I believe in verifications by the National Audit Office and have no cause to doubt. In fact, that’s what I had said in that article."
'I only went on his boat once'
11am Zammit Lewis is continuing to defend his relationship with Yorgen Fenech.
He says: "I never went abroad with him. I only went on his boat once, some three years ago."
Zammit Lewis says he stopped speaking to Paul Apap Bologna once becoming justice minister but not with Fenech, because he was not involved in any decisions concerning him.
"And events at his hotels were always paid for. I’ve done some research and have the payment receipts here," Zammit Lewis says.
Had he been justice minister, he would have broken off contact with Fenech too, he says.
Yorgen Fenech, in sunglasses, returned to his yacht, days after he was arrested on it as it left Portomaso marina. Photo: Jonathan BorgMessages to Fenech
10.50am. As tourism minister between 2014 and 2017 were your messages [to Fenech] only about tourism? Therese Comodini Cachia asks.
"Not just. I couldn’t only speak to him about tourism."
Zammit Lewis confirms he was at a party in Girgenti that Yorgen Fenech attended when he was a murder suspect.
He doesn't know if Fench and the prime minister spoke. He says that he spoke to him socially there.
"Look," Zammit Lewis says, "Whenever I replied to his messages I always did so in good faith. Had I sensed that he would prejudice my position I would have severed ties."
Remember that this man was suspected of involvement in the murder, Judge Joseph Said Pullicino remarks.
What about the Fenechs?
10.43am Zammit Lewis is now asked about his friendship with Yorgen Fenech, another Electrogas shareholder and the man now accused of conspiring to murder Caruana Galzia.
"I got to know him around 2013. As parliamentary secretary I was responsible for gaming and casinos. Also as tourism minister, I had to meet operators. I knew him and kept in touch with him after I ceased to be minister."
When it was known that secret offshore company 17 Black belonged to Yorgen Fenech in November 2018, and was also linked to Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri's offshore structures, did you keep in touch with Yorgen Fenech?
Zammit Lewis says that yes, he "kept in touch" with him and points out that he was not justice minister at the time.
"After 17 Black, I felt it would not prejudice my position and work by keeping in touch with Yorgen Fenech. He did not ask me for anything and I asked him for nothing either."
Friendships with Electrogas businessmen
10.40am Lawyer Therese Comodini Cachia is now questioning Zammit Lewis about his friendships with the businessmen involved in the energy project.
He says his wife is an old friend of the wife of shareholder Paul Apap Bologna and he has known him for 16 years. However, they have not met since Zammit Lewis became a minister, he said.
His wife is also a friend of one of the children of another shareholder in the Gasan family.
'Lack of decisions caused consequences'
10.33am The panel point out that after the Panama Papers leak, Konrad Mizzi was removed as minister but Keith Schembri was kept in his position.
"Had some action been taken at the time, such as removal of powerful elements, perhaps certain things might not have happened later," Joseph Said Pullicino says.
Zammit Lewis agrees: "There’s no doubt that decisions or lack of them did cause consequences."
All three judges press further on this point demanding to know why it took so long for both men to be removed from their positions.
The justice minister says that he has always tried to reform, introduce checks and balances and change things for the better.
Konrad Mizzi 'should have resigned over Panama'
10.25am The testimony moves on to the Panama Papers leak, which revealed in 2016 that then minister Konrad Mizzi and Keith Schembri both had secret accounts.
He said: "The official information was published in the evening. I was at home with my wife. It was shocking. Konrad Mizzi was to resign, I believed. That was my opinion at the time."
Keith Schembri's position was "different", he argues because of his position as a person of trust of the prime minister.
"When Joseph Muscat sent for me, I told him that Konrad Mizzi ought to resign on his own steam. As for Keith Schembri, I told Joseph Muscat, obviously, he’s your person of trust but the situation will have serious repercussions."
Keith Schembri's influence
10.19am Did the prime minister's chief of staff have excessive powers, Zammit Lewis is asked.
He replies: "Keith Schembri had organised the party way back pre 2013. He had great organisation skills. The prime minister relied on him to coordinate. He was good to talk to, offered feedback. He coordinated ministries and was the prime minister's right-hand man."
Did he interfere in your work? Lofaro asks.
When Muscat was not accessible, Zammit Lewis would discuss with Schembri to get direction, he says.
"There is no doubt his role was influential. He came from business sector. That was his know how."
Did he enjoy the full trust of the prime minister? "Yes".
Did he attend cabinet meetings? "Yes".
Asked if he noted any conflict of interest, Zammit Lewis stresses that he did not choose him as chief of staff and that his position meant he set up contacts.
Keith Schembri at a previous court appearance.The 'kitchen cabinet'
10.14am Zammit Lewis is asked about the so-called kitchen cabinet, a term coined by his cabinet colleague Edward Scicluna, who said there were advisors who bypassed the system.
Zammit Lewis said that he did sometimes witness the prime minister speak to some other ministers but that's all he can say.
He makes reference to a memorandum of understanding between Vitals Global Healthcare and the government prior to a deal.
Zammit Lewis said he learnt of that "through the public domain." He adds: "Things should be done properly especially when handling people’s money."
Konrad Mizzi 'took decisions himself'
10.09am Zammit Lewis explains that in some cases, such as with the Vitals hospitals deal, "the direction was discussed but the adjudication was not"
He says that as a practice, he puts anything he deems important before cabinet, even subsidiary legislation.
What about Konrad Mizzi, the panel asks, referring to the former energy and health minister.
"I don’t think he adopted that style. He was more inclined to take decisions himself."
Cabinet discussions
10.02am After Labour won the 2013 election, Zammit Lewis was parliamentary secretary at the Economy Ministry, so he says he had no involvement "at all" in the Electrogas project.
Asked about discussions at cabinet level, he cites the cabinet manual which refers to three laws about confidentiality concerning discussions held at that level.
"Generically speaking the project was brought before cabinet as a matter of policy," he says. "A memo was put forward for direction but no details."
He says this was the same process for other government projects that proved controversial such as the Vitals hospitals deal, the American University of Malta and the Montenegro wind farm.
Electrogas
9.56am Zammit Lewis said he was not involved in Labour's energy plan pre-election. Her remembers a presentation by Konrad Mizzi to all MPs and a group of approved candidates.
He adds: "Konrad Mizzi gave a presentation on how to reduce bills, and so on. I must admit it is not my forte."
He said no specific names were mentioned and that it was an "academic presentation" to help prepare MPs and candidates on debates on the subject.
Mallia asks if the party took the project on board in January 2013?
He doesn't recall the exact dates but says it was a reasonable time before the election.
Labour and big business
9.52am Zammit Lewis is asked about his friendship with businessmen. He said his relationship was with Keith Schembri but that he knew other business people through his work as a lawyer in civil and commercial law.
"Some I know because my wife is a friend of their wives," he tells the inquiry.
"But Keith Schembri did not introduce me to business people."
He also says he did not witness an influx of business people at PL headquarters as he worked in his district to break ground ahead of the election.
"I usually went to headquarters before public debates to get briefed. We were called for candidate meetings. But no, I cannot say I saw businessmen there."
Relationship with Joseph Muscat
9.46am The justice minister is quizzed about his relationship with former prime minister Joseph Muscat. It started at age 10 or 11 when they were both pupils St Aloysius school.
After school, they did not have regular contact, but kept up when they both ventured into politics, Zammit Lewis explains.
The relationship gained ground in 2008 when Joseph Muscat had started programme to bring back people into Labour fold, in preparation for 2013 elections.
"I was local councillor at Attard and he approached me. I was involved in politics. Joseph Muscat does not mix friendship with politics," he says.
Former prime minister Joseph Muscat. Photo: Jonathan BorgMalta's golden passports
9.44am The first question: what had he to do with Malta's controversial Individual Investment Programme, otherwise known as the 'golden passport' scheme, which grants citizenship to wealthy investors.
It was under Minister Manuel Mallia at the time, Zammit Lewis says but that technically speaking, he did contribute.
Judges take their place
9.41am The three judges leading the inquiry, Joseph Said Pullicino, Michael Mallia and Abigail Lofaro take their place and the minister is summoned inside.
He takes his place at the witness stand, removes his mask and takes the oath, before listing his political CV.
Edward Zammit Lewis arrives
9.37am We're inside hall 20, the usual location for the public inquiry hearings. The minister is outside.
Lawyers for the Caruana Galizia family, Jason Azzopardi and Therese Comodini Cachia are here as are one of the journalist's sisters, Mandy.
The inquiry was due to begin at 9.30am
Justice Minister Edward Zammit Lewis, centre, arrives for the public inquiry. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli