A criminal case against Yorgen Fenech concerning his alleged purchase of guns and grenades on the dark web will be heard in private, a court decided on Friday.
Prosecutors leading the case against Fenech, who also stands accused of complicity in the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, asked for the case to be heard behind closed doors.
Inspector Omar Zammit told the court that this was necessary due to ongoing investigations as well a the sensitivity of the case and testimonies that would form part of it.
Fenech's lawyers did not object to that request, and magistrate Nadine Lia agreed to it. It means the media and the public will not be able to follow proceedings.
The decision was made during the first hearing in the case, after Fenech pleaded not guilty to charges late last month.
Prosecutors say they have evidence that he made enquiries about buying a Glock pistol and silences, Scorpion rifles, two grenades and 800 rounds of ammunition from black market dealers online, and paid for those items using cryptocurrency Bitcoin.
There is no evidence that the weapons ever reached Malta.
Fenech is also alleged to have ordered a highly toxic substance – potassium cyanide – online.
He is alleged to have made these orders in 2018.
As it happened
Live blog ends
9.28am The briefest of live blogs is brought to an end by prosecutors' request to push for hearings to be held in private.
The fact that the court decided on that request also suggests that Lia will not be abstaining from this case.
That's all from us today. Thank you for having joined us.
That's that
9.25am Inspector Zammit tells the magistrate all testimonies, including his own, need to be held in private.
And that's all we can report from this case. The rest of it will proceed out of public view.
Case to be heard behind closed doors
9.23am Magistrate Lia takes note of that request, and says that in view of the sensitivity of the case, she will uphold it.
That means everybody – including us – must leave the courtroom.
Proceedings will continue in private.
Prosecutors want case heard behind closed doors
9.22am An unexpected request by the prosecution: they want case to be heard completely behind closed doors.
Prosecutors argue that they need this to happen because investigations still ongoing and some key witnesses have yet to testify.
The defence does not object to that request.
The ball is now in the court’s…. court.
Court in session
9.19am Magistrate Nadine Lia takes her place at the bench, and the court hearing can begin.
Lawyers in court
9.12am Inspectors Omar Zammit and Geoffrey Cutajar will be prosecuting this case, and they’re in court.
Fenech’s lawyers Charles Mercieca, Gianluca Caruana Curran and Marion Camilleri are here too.
Will magistrate abstain?
9.08am The court, which will be led by magistrate Nadine Lia, is due to start hearing the compilation of evidence against Yorgen Fenech over his alleged importation of weapons.
But there is a good chance that the magistrate will sit this one out: Lia, who is the daughter-in-law of the lawyer who represents the Labour Party and Joseph Muscat, has abstained on every other occasion when she has been drawn to preside over a case related to the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder.
Welcome
9.04am Good morning and welcome to this live blog. We're at the Valletta law courts this morning.