Updated 1.45pm
The men who murdered journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia received leaks about police investigations in the case from a lawyer who got that information from deputy police commissioner Silvio Valletta, a court heard on Wednesday.
Vince Muscat, known as il-Koħħu, told the court that the lawyer acted as an intermediary between Valletta and the Degiorgio brothers, who stand accused of the 2017 murder that he has pleaded guilty to.
The self-confessed killer said that he believed the brothers, Alfred and George Degiorgio, were also receiving information from a man who worked for Chris Cardona at the economy ministry Cardona headed as minister.
The names of the lawyer and ministry worker cannot be published by court order.
Muscat has previously testified that Alfred Degiorgio was a "close buddy" of the minister's. Those connections, Muscat told the court, made him feel reassured that the trio did not have to worry too much about police investigations into them.
“We had power,” he told the court, testifying under cross-examination. "And Alfred told me so. In fact, when we ended up at Corradino [prison] they could barely believe it."
Valletta, who is now retired, has previously denied leaking any information about the case.
Muscat admitted to murdering Caruana Galizia in exchange for a 15-year prison sentence and testimony against the Degiorgio brothers, who are pleading not guilty to charges. A pardon request the brothers filed was rejected this week by cabinet.
Business mogul Yorgen Fenech is being charged separately with complicity in the murder, with taxi driver Melvin Theuma saying he acted as a middleman in the murder.
Fenech denies the charges and has told police investigators that former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri was the true mastermind.
In his testimony, Muscat also noted that:
• The Degiorgio brothers knew that he had spoken to the police in 2018, following his arrest, and also knew what other case he had discussed with interrogators.
• The Degiorgios told him that they had arranged to pay €100,000 to secure bail. They were not pleased when the court refused their bail request. [The judge in question, Antonio Mizzi, had previously said he was never approached about the case.]
• The brothers had called murder middleman Melvin Theuma from prison, using a secret mobile phone that circulated among inmates.
• He, Alfred Degiorgio and minister Chris Cardona had socialised in a bar in the years before the 2017 murder. Muscat said he never met Cardona after the murder.
• He drove Alfred to Valletta, ostensibly to meet Cardona, “around three times”. He once saw Alfred enter a side door at Castille.
• Alfred Degiorgio told him that Cardona knew of the murder plot and had warned him that “some other gang” was also planning to kill Caruana Galizia, for €150,000. Alfred told the minister “No, that’s us.”
• He felt “betrayed” by the Degiorgio brothers, who never told him that George Degiorgio had messed up and topped up credit on the phone used to detonate the murder bomb on the day of the murder.
• As rumours circulated about the police closing in on him, George Degiorgio suggested trying to go abroad to see whether he would be stopped as he left the country.
• He saw Alfred Degiorgio place the bomb in Caruana Galizia’s car with his own eyes.
• Lawyer (and former police inspector) David Gatt knew “100%” about the murder plot and was also involved in a previous 2015 murder plot that never materialised. [Muscat had testified previously about Gatt]
• His former lawyer Arthur Azzopardi had told his family to sign up to meet the prime minister during New Year’s greetings.
• The three men had discussed, together with lawyer William Cuschieri, sending a letter to Joseph Muscat. In it, they were to ask the then-prime minister whether “he knows what he’s doing in our case”. But Vince Muscat was not keen on the idea and the letter was never written.
With Muscat's cross-examination completed, files in the compilation of evidence against the Degiorgio brothers will now be passed on to the criminal court.
The Degiorgio brothers were represented by lawyer William Cuschieri. Inspector Kurt Zahra and deputy attorney general Philip Galea Farrugia prosecuted. The victim's family was represented by Jason Azzopardi.
As it happened
Live blog ends
1.14pm That’s all for today. Thank you for having joined us for this live blog.
We will have a summary of the day’s key points of testimony available at the top of this article shortly.
No further questions
1.10pm Cuschieri wants to put distance between himself and the brothers’ bail claim.
“Do you confirm that I was not aware of that?” he asks Muscat.
Muscat does so. The brothers told him about it while they were waiting for Cuschieri to show up, he says.
The magistrate notes that the witness has already said that.
No further questions from Jason Azzopardi. The cross-examination of Vince Muscat is complete.
The compilation of evidence in the case against the Degiorgio brothers will end here for the time being – records of the case will now move to the criminal court.
Planning a letter to Joseph Muscat
1.05pm He continues: The Degiorgios and their lawyer had once discussed sending a letter to Joseph Muscat. William Cuschieri had asked “how am I to get that letter to the prime minister?” They said ‘you leave that to us’. They wanted all three of us to sign that letter. I wasn’t too pleased. The letter was not written.
Azzopardi: Do you know what the letter was to say?
Muscat: I don’t recall exactly, but the phrase “does he know what he’s doing?” [jaf x’inhu jagħmel?] was to feature. That referred to the murder. “Does he know what he’s doing in our case”.
Cuschieri interjects: Do you agree that I never wrote any such letter and never brought such a letter with me to jail?
Muscat: Yes, but you were present when it was discussed.
Cuschieri: If I say that’s not true?
Muscat: Yeah, sure. No one can challenge my eyes and ears.
Calling Theuma from prison
1pm Azzopardi: What about a mobile phone hidden at Corradino prison?
Muscat: When we were taken to separate divisions [in 2018], Alfred told me that there were “two mobiles circulating in prison”. The brothers had their hands on one of them. They had even called Melvin Theuma using that phone.
'Degiorgios told me we had secured bail'
12.56pm Azzopardi: What did you tell the inquiring magistrate about the conversation you had [with the Degiorgios] about getting bail?
Muscat: One time, while waiting for William in jail, the Degiorgios told me that we were to get bail. They would wait for judge Mizzi to be working and file the application.
"They told me they've sorted it out for €100,000," he recalls.
He continues: George Degiorgio was happy before the hearing, because we were to get bail. Of course, afterwards, they were not pleased
[The court refused their bail application and judge Mizzi has said he was never approached about the matter].
Degiorgios knew Muscat spoke to the police
12.54pm Jason Azzopardi, representing the victim’s family, takes over questioning.
He takes the witness back to April 2018, when Muscat spoke to the police.
The Degiorgios had subsequently told him that “they did not sleep that night.” What had he done, Azzopardi asks.
Muscat: We were waiting for William [Cuschieri] to come to prison to speak to us three. The two brothers told me they had had a sleepless night after learning that I had gone to speak at the police depot.
Azzopardi: How long after [did they tell him that]?
Muscat: Two or three days after I spoke to the police. They also knew which [other] case I had spoken to the police about.
'Keep your heads held high'
12.46pm Cuschieri moves on to another episode. The trio were close to Mile End in Hamrun, just days before the December 2017 arrests. Alfred Degiorgio told them that someone had passed on the message “keep your heads held high”.
That day – a Saturday – the Degiorgios were going to meet Chris Cardona. Muscat suggested tagging along, but the brothers told him it was best if he didn’t.
After they were arrested, the Degiorgios told him to hire David Gatt as his lawyer. So Muscat told the police that.
Cuschieri: But you mentioned Gatt at the end of your statement, when police suggested a legal aid lawyer. So why did you then mention David Gatt?
Muscat: I always refused legal assistance
Cuschieri: So you didn’t stick the agreement. And you always led a criminal life.
Muscat: I am disabled and didn’t work.
Cuschieri: I thought your were St Joseph [an allusion to Muscat’s testimony in a previous sitting that he was a carpenter by trade].
That’s all from Cuschieri, who is done with his cross-examination.
'He knew about the 2015 plot'
12.41pm Muscat is asked about the time he took George Degiorgio to Portomaso to meet Chris Cardona in 2015.
He says [person 2] also knew about the 2014/5 murder plot [that never materialised], “100%”.
“I was present when George Degiorgio used to press [person 2] for the murder money at the potato sheds,” he says.
'He knew 100%'
12.36pm William Cuschieri continues his questioning.
“Did [person 2] return to the potato shed after the murder?”
Muscat: Yes.
Cuschieri: Was there talk of the murder?
Muscat: He used to make the thumbs up sign and mimic explosion both before and after the murder.
Cuschieri: So [person 2] knew about the bomb?
Muscat: He knew 100% about the bomb before the murder. He made the thumbs-up sign before the murder and mimicked the explosion afterwards.
Back in court
12.23pm The witness is back in court, as are the two brothers facing murder charges.
There's just one thing missing before proceedings can resume - Vince Muscat needs a water refill. Testifying is a thirsty job!
30-minute break
11.43am The magistrate calls a 30-minute recess. The defence says it will wrap up cross-examination today. But parte civile lawyers also have some questions for Muscat.
Being told at CCF
11.39am Cuschieri reads out from a transcript of previous testimony, when Muscat said that Alfred Degiorgio had told him that the police were to interrogate Chris Cardona and the lawyer.
When did that conversation take place?
Muscat: After our arrest, in 2018, at Corradino. I spoke to the lawyer about this at Corradino, when he spoke to me about another matter.
Cuschieri: Did you confront Cardona about this?
Muscat: No.
Ask no questions
11.34am Cuschieri: You said that Alfred had told you that the police were going to interrogate Chris Cardona and a lawyer. Didn’t you ask why? Didn’t you ask what the lawyer had to do with it?
Muscat: No, I didn’t.
Cuschieri: Had Alfred Degiorgio also told you about the others arrested in the December raids?
Muscat: No, he hadn’t. Some were there [at the Marsa sheds] too.
'I didn't ask questions'
11.28am The brothers in the dock burst out in protest again. They say Muscat’s lawyer is patting him on the shoulder, to urge him on.
Muscat says Alfred Degiorgio had told him that there was another minister involved.
Cuschieri: So you had no reason to doubt Alfred Degiorgio back then?
Muscat: No, not at all. I only doubted him once.
Cuschieri: And didn’t you ever ask Alfred how come “such people” (i.e. ministers) got involved in such matters?
Muscat: No. That’s probably why Alfred trusted me so much. Because I hardly asked questions. Alfred told me that the police had nothing on me or him, that they only might have something on George. And I had no reason not to believe that.
'We had power'
11.22am Cuschieri notes that Alfred Degiorgio had later told Muscat that there was “some talk”.
That was a reference to George Degiorgio’s mobile top-up having been traced.
Cuschieri: Didn’t you ask questions? Didn’t you pry further?
Muscat: No, I didn’t ask.
Cuschieri presses his point. “So when Alfred spoke to you about that talk and the possible arrests, you just went along without asking? Something so serious!
Muscat: I wouldn’t question those people! They had backing.
Cuschieri: What do you mean? Do you mean that you were reassured because you had backing from high quarters?
Muscat: Yes. We had power [Kellna s-saħħa]. And Alfred told me so. In fact, when we ended up at Corradino they could barely believe it.
Burner phones
11.15am Cuschieri asks Muscat about the burner phones.
Muscat: We had bought four mobiles. Three for us and one for the middleman [Melvin Theuma]. They had to be replaced when one of Theuma’s children used that mobile. After the murder, the phones had no further use.
Cuschieri asks Muscat about the transaction to hand over the rest of the money for the murder.
Muscat says he did not actually see Theuma give Alfred Degiorgio the money.
Premature detonation
11.12am Cuschieri takes the witness back to the moment the bomb was detonated.
“The gate sensor light [at the Caruana Galizia house] flashed on. Alfred called his brother, then told him to hold on because Daphne had gone back inside.
Earlier on, you testified that George sent the message before getting the go-ahead.”
Muscat confirms that. “I was sitting close to Alfred. He seemed angry that George pressed the on switch before his brother gave the go-ahead. George pressed it as soon as Alfred called.”
Cuschieri: What about the car?
Muscat: It was visible even without binoculars.
Cuschieri: So how can you explain what you said last time, that you didn’t see the explosion but only the smoke? Were you already in the car?
Muscat: Yes, I was heading back to the car and Alfred was already there. Alfred told me to check and that George had activated it prematurely, before the go-ahead.”
Police and firefighters at the car bomb explosion scene in Bidnija. Photo: Mark Zammit CordinaA boat named after his dog
11.06am Answering questions, Muscat says that he did not see the message used to detonate the bomb.
Cuschieri: What about your own personal mobile at the time?
Muscat: It was in my car with its back cover and battery removed. It was always like that.
Cuschieri: What about Degiorgios’ mobiles?
Muscat: I don’t know.
Cuschieri: On the day of the murder, you said George was to go out to sea.
Muscat: Yes, that was the plan.
Cuschieri: Do you know if he was alone?
Muscat: I can’t tell. All I know was that he was to sail out on his boat.
Cuschieri: Last time you testified that the boat is named after one of his children.
Muscat: Yes.
Cuschieri: Do you know that the boat is named after his dog?
Muscat: What? His dog! No, I didn’t know that.
Placing the bomb
11am Questions turn to Caruana Galizia’s car in Bidnija.
Muscat: In all those months of watching, it was never left outside at night. Except for that one time.
Cuschieri says that Muscat has testified that the trio had placed the bomb in fields close to the Caruana Galizia family home. Who put it there?
Muscat: George had called for us [Alfred and Muscat] and we took the bomb to the fields, to have it at hand and avoid traffic.
He continues: Degiorgio had told me to move the bomb from Santa Venera. I went to Bidnija for the garage keys. Alfred was keeping watch. I called him on the phone because he was at another vantage point.
Cuschieri asks whether he saw Alfred Degiorgio place the bomb.
Muscat: “Yes, I saw him open the car and place the bomb.”
Cuschieri says that last time, Muscat had testified that he hadn’t seen him place it.
'Keith Schembri told him about the plot'
10.52am Cuschieri turns his questions to another person who cannot be named. We will refer to them as [person 2].
“He was also close to the minister and knew about the plot,” Cuschieri tells Muscat.
Muscat: Yes, he knew.
Cuschieri: How are you so sure?
Muscat: As far as I know, [person 2] had been told by Keith Schembri. Again, that’s what one of the Degiorgios told me.”
Muscat says he can personally confirm that [person 2] was close to Cardona.
Cuschieri: And what about [person 2] and Schembri?
Muscat: [Person 2] always praised Keith Schembri. Once while having coffee in Valletta he told me ‘You should only speak to him in English’ [Dak bl-ingliż biss tkellmu].
Cuschieri: Did he tell you that he was involved in the murder?
Muscat: No.
Keith Schembri (left) with self-confessed murder middleman Melvin Theuma.Back in court
10.47am It’s the briefest of pauses – the Degiorgio brothers are back in the courtroom, having regained their composure.
The magistrate asks whether cross-examination will be done today.
“Not likely,” Cuschieri replies.
Degiorgio outburst in court
10.44am A sudden outburst by George Degiorgio, one of the men in the dock.
“Stop everything, stop everything!” he tells his lawyer, Cuschieri.
It appears he’s vehemently disagreeing with Muscat’s version of events.
Cuschieri tries to calm him down.
“Stop it George, stop it. You’re going to confuse me,” his lawyer tells him.
George Degiorgio asks to be excused.
The magistrate agrees to a short break.
'They betrayed me'
10.41am Cuschieri moves on.
“Weren’t you close to the Degiorgios, like brothers?”
Muscat: Yes, we were.
Cuschieri: And they always told you everything?
Muscat: Yes, they always told me the truth except once. That one time! He refers to the text message George Degiorgio sent on the day of the murder, to top up the credit of the phone used to detonate the bomb.
“When I was arrested, [superintendent Keith] Arnaud told me that if it wasn’t for that top-up… and they never told me. Instead, they told me that there was “some talk” [xi leħen]. They told me that George would probably be taken into custody, but not me.
Cuschieri: And do you consider that betrayal?
Muscat: Yes. They betrayed me. They knew about the arrests and didn’t tell me the truth. And they told me to go to the potato sheds with them that December, to get me arrested and arraigned with them!
The scene of the December 2017 arrests. Photo: Jonathan BorgCardona's man
10.35am Muscat is asked about [name removed]. He says he worked with Cardona before the 2017 election and had once come to the sheds and spoken very heatedly about the minister, “because Cardona had removed him from his ministry and replaced him”.
“After that, I believe he worked at Castille,” he adds.
Cuschieri: How are you so sure?
Muscat: Because he drove a ministry car.
Muscat adds: “Alfred was so close to Chris Cardona, that he [Cardona] had arranged for his [Alfred’s] daughter to work at the ministry.”
Cuschieri presses Muscat about his claim that [name removed] was angry with Cardona. How could he say [name removed] was passing on messages on the minister’s behalf, if he was angry with him?
Muscat: That’s all I know.
Who was passing them information?
10.29am Muscat is asked about [former deputy police chief] Silvio Valletta and a lawyer.
He says that he had met the lawyer in that bar, but “some ten years ago.”
Cuschieri asks about the post-murder raids, and whether Chris Cardona was supplying them with information.
Muscat says he does not know, but that he was under the impression that “it was coming from the minister”.
Cuschieri reads from previous testimony. “Muscat had said that the information was coming from assistant commissioner Silvio Valletta. Please answer me. Which is the correct version? From the minister? From Valletta or you don’t know?”
Muscat: Alfred Degiorgio had told me that the information regarding the December 4 raids was coming from Valletta, who passed it on to a lawyer.
He adds: “There was also [name removed] who started getting us information. He was being sent by Chris Cardona, so that Alfred would not go to him. [Name removed] would come to the potato shed and would never speak to me. Others would be around and Alfred and [name removed] would confer together.
Chris Cardona.Seeing Cardona
10.22am The magistrate orders a ban on a name to be mentioned in this next part of Muscat’s testimony.
Cuschieri: Did you (plural) meet Chris Cardona before the murder?
Muscat: Yes, but years before the murder.
Cuschieri: What about 2017? Do you swear under oath that in the weeks and months before the murder, you weren’t in the same bar?
Muscat: No.
Cuschieri: Are you sure? I’m not saying whether you just saw him or spent two hours talking.
Muscat sticks to his answer. “No.”
'Cardona said '150k. There are two groups'
10.15am Cuschieri: According to what Alfred told you, Chris Cardona knew of the murder plot and about the price tag too. Is that right?
Muscat: Yes, according to what Alfred told me. Alfred told me that during one meeting, Chris Cardona had sent some message. I thought that would be a text message like the ones I send, that cannot be deleted. Not WhatsApp or what have you!
He continues: After sending that message, Chris Cardona had told Alfred that there was some other gang in the plot, for €150,000. And Alfred had told Cardona, ‘No, that’s us.’
“150K. Hemm żewġ gruppi,” [150k. There are two groups] Cardona had said.”
Driving Alfred to meet the minister
10.12am Cuschieri notes that Muscat has testified that he used to drive Alfred Degiorgio to Cardona’s ministry, but said “Castille”. Does he know that Cardona’s ministry was not at Castille?
Muscat: I once saw Alfred go in through a side door. That’s all I can say. What I saw and what I know. I drove him there around three times.
Muscat says that once, the two were taken to Valletta by someone else. “That was the time I saw Alfred go through side door.”
Cuschieri asks him whether it could be that there were other times when he went to some other building, not Castille.
Muscat says it could be.
Cuschieri: Do you know that anyone entering Castille must submit their personal details?
Muscat: Yes.
Cuschieri: How do you know?
Muscat: Because my former lawyer Arthur Azzopardi had told my family to go greet the Prime Minister at New Year. And they told me that names were recorded in the visitors book. [Joseph Muscat has previously testified that Melvin Theuma had booked to meet him during Christmas greetings].
Drinking with Chris Cardona
10.05am Questions turn to the time Muscat took Alfred Degiorgio to speak to Chris Cardona.
Cuschieri: Was it before and after the murder?
Muscat: Before. I didn’t drive him after the murder. It was for information. Alfred had told me, Cens I’m going to ask Chris Cardona to tell us whereabouts, or if she went abroad.
Cuschieri: What did Chris Cardona have to do with Daphne Caruana Galizia and her murder? This is a minister we’re talking about. What led you to say this?
Muscat: I knew absolutely nothing about Chris Cardona. All I did was repeat what Alfred Degiorgio told me. Nothing else.
Cuschieri: But what about your reaction to Alfred’s suggestion? Why did you urge him, “If not Chris Cardona, then who else?”
Cuschieri asks the witness if he was sometimes in the company of Alfred Degiorgio and Cardona.
Muscat: May I not reply to that?
The magistrate intervenes: were you all three of you?
Muscat: Yes.
Cuschieri: And in a bar for a drink?
Muscat: Yes.
Cuschieri: After the murder?
Muscat: No. I never met him after the murder.
Picking the car's locks
10am Cuschieri moves on. He asks about the car the trio got, from a Bugibba car dealer, to practice picking the locks on Daphne Caruana Galizia’s car. It was the same model of Peugeot that she drove.
The lawyer says the witness has testified that Robert Agius, ta’ Maksar, arranged that for them. But did he ever hear Robert say that?
Muscat: I always said that I got to know from Alfred or George.
Cuschieri: So you can’t tell if Robert got cars from that dealer?
Muscat: No, I can’t. It we me and the Degiorgios who went for that car.
Cuschieri: So if Alfred and George were not telling you the whole truth, you couldn’t tell, could you?
Muscat: I can only tell what I heard or saw. What more can I say?
Cuschieri notes that Muscat has previously testified that the trio practiced picking the car’s locks at the Marsa potato shed where they often gathered. Isn’t that shed visible to everyone, he asks?
Muscat: But at that time in the afternoon, it was quiet.
Cuschieri: Somebody could have easily spotted you.
Muscat: We were on the lookout for passers-by. And we put the car under the shed. Part of it was fenced in.
A garage in Santa Venera
9.50am Cuschieri asks Muscat about a Santa Venera garage.
Muscat replies that George Degiorgio had told him to lease that, in somebody else’s name. That person only knows of his link to the garage, he adds.
“If anything happened, that person would name me, not George Degiorgio."
Muscat adds that the owner actually knew George Degiorgio and that initially, it was George who had concluded a lease of the garage, with a rent book made out to a false lessee named “Charlie, I think”.
Muscat: The first time we paid the rent, George told me to drive him to the owner of the garage. We used my car. So the owner knew George, but he knew me more.
Cuschieri: How long was that garage rented?
Muscat: It was quite long
Cuschieri: Was it used in other crimes?
Muscat: What does that have to do with this case?
The magistrate tells Muscat that he has the right not to reply, if he risks incriminating himself. An argument breaks out in court, as Cuschieri insists the witness received a pardon to tell “the whole truth and nothing but the truth.”
Muscat hits back: I received a pardon for the case concerning the lawyer Chircop. I got a prison sentence for the case of Mrs Caruana Galizia.
A getaway plan
9.45am Cuschieri takes the witness back to their first plan to kill Daphne Caruana Galizia, by shooting her.
The hitmen had allegedly placed sacks on a rubble wall to help steady the rifle, with Alfred Degiorgio the man chosen to shoot.
“What was your plan in the aftermath?” the defence lawyer asks the witness.
Muscat: “Our plan was for George [Degiorgio] to come for us, then to head to the Naxxar garage, put the weapon and car there and everyone would go their own way from there.”
Cuschieri: Did you plan to go somewhere? Your car, for instance?
Muscat: Yes, there was a plan. We all had our own cars. My car was somewhere close to that garage.
Cuschieri: What if I told you that you never left your car there?
Muscat: No, not true.
Cross-examination resumes
9.41am Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit enters the courtroom. So too does lawyer Marc Sant, who represents today’s witness, Vince Muscat.
Muscat is escorted into the courtroom and takes his seat, adjusting the microphone.
“May I remove my mask, your Honour?” he asks.
The magistrate allows him to do so, and his cross-examination can resume.
Who are the protagonists?
9.37am
• George and Alfred Degiorgio, also known as ic-Ċiniz and il-Fulu, are the men in the dock. The brothers are accused of planting the bomb that killed journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. The pair are represented in court by lawyer William Cuschieri.
• The man testifying is Vincent Muscat, known as il-Koħħu. Muscat also faced charges of having murdered Caruana Galizia but admitted the crime last February, in exchange for a 15-year prison sentence and testimony related to other crimes. His lawyer is Marc Sant.
• Businessman Yorgen Fenech is accused of having bankrolled the assassination and faces charges of complicity in the murder. His compilation of evidence is ongoing in a separate case.
• Taxi driver Melvin Theuma has admitted being the middleman between Fenech and the Degiorgio brothers, hiring the hitmen to carry out the murder. He has been granted a state pardon.
• Robert Agius, known as one of the Ta’ Maksar brothers, and his associate Jamie Vella are accused of supplying the bomb. They are being charged separately.
• Lawyers for the family of Daphne Caruana Galizia are Therese Comodini Cachia and Jason Azzopardi.
• Police inspectors Keith Arnaud and Kurt Zahra are leading the investigation into the assassination. Deputy attorney general Philip Galea Farrugia is assisting the prosecution.
Accused in court
9.30am The two men facing charges, George and Alfred Degiorgio, are both in hall 22 together with their lawyer, William Cuschieri. Prosecuting inspector Kurt Zahra is here too. Other parties in the case have yet to arrive.
What happened last time?
9.23am Muscat last testified on Friday, with the session postponed after the Degiorgios' lawyer, William Cuschieri, asked the court for more time to prepare more questions for the witness.
If the defence's cross-examination of Muscat is not done by the end of today's court session, then Muscat will return to court in two days' time, on Friday morning.
Welcome
9.20am Good morning and welcome to this live blog. Vince Muscat returns to the Valletta law courts this morning, to resume his testimony against his co-accused Alfred and George Degiorgio.