Daphne Caruana Galizia had been killed for over six months when the self-confessed middleman in her murder began to record conversations he was having with the alleged mastermind.

The secretly-taped and sometimes confusing conversations between Melvin Theuma and Yorgen Fenech have been played out in court as part of the compilation of evidence against Mr Fenech.

In the second part of a series, Times of Malta has translated the tapes, which were played out in Maltese before a magistrate last Wednesday.

In this section Mr Theuma and Mr Fenech appear to be discussing an attempt to secure bail for the alleged triggermen, Vince Muscat and brothers Alfred and George Degiorgio.

The recordings of the conversation, interspersed with chatter about football and family, are believed to have been made in taxi driver Mr Theuma’s car, where he would hold meetings with Mr Fenech.

Sometimes children were present.

Unidentified boy: We have a present! 

Yorgen Fenech: Yes, we have a present because... (inaudible)

Boy: Yeah!

Fenech: So, what’s up?

Melvin Theuma: What’s up?

Fenech: (Inaudible)

Theuma: Eh, well, well (inaudible). No, nothing, nothing. I’ll tell you...

Fenech: Oh! I’ll tell you why I had played it that way. So we were walking towards the stadium – and I told him (subject unknown) these guys, they’ve won the league – Barcelona had won the league – they didn’t need anything. But they were playing home and the other guys were through to the Champions League final. No one wanted to get any injured players or anything.  And you’re telling me that these guys aren’t going to come to an understanding? I’m not saying they made a deal. They have a talk and it’s a draw. No one get’s hurt, no one loses out. So you guys go to the Champions League and you don’t go all beaten up, and we’ve won the league, and we won’t make (swearing) fools of ourselves in front of our fans....

I don’t know what was happening... It was all a big game

What’s up with you? Are you worried about something?

Theuma: No, well, because now they (inaudible), I told them that just because (inaudible) that I... (swearing).

Fenech: Listen, did you speak with the other guy?

Theuma: ... Nobody. To me that was all talk. Keith, ‘on the 22nd for sure etc etc. A million and another million’ he started saying, oh, and bail and (gratuitous swearing).

[Investigators believe there was an attempt to secure bail for the three triggermen that would have been granted to them ‘on the 22nd’. Investigators also believe there was an offer of €1 million in cash for the three.]

Fenech: A million?

Theuma: And a bail pledge and I don’t know what the (swearing) else.

Fenech: (Inaudible)

Theuma: I don’t know. He was on the phone. This is all treachery and betrayal, if you ask me. This is all betrayal, from A to Z.  Even that stuff with (lawyer defending Vince Muscat) Arthur Azzopardi there was some betrayal there too.

Fenech: (Inaudible). No, not that. That definitely wasn’t. 

Theuma: Koħħu (Vince Muscat) suddenly stopped talking.

Fenech: Koħħu? How... the details. How?

Theuma: Because... They sent a message. 

Fenech: (inaudible)... How do they know?

Theuma: Because they sent a message to Fulu (Alfred Degiorgio) and Fulu sent a reply through his brother now. 

And he told me, we’re okay for the 22nd right?

Fenech: ... (inaudible). 

Theuma: Yes but, I know...

Fenech: Well, I’ve always, whenever...

Theuma: You didn’t tell me. I know, that Keith...

Fenech: ... (Inaudible). 

Theuma: So what do I do now?

Fenech: This is what I told him. He told me he never promised anything. I told him...

Theuma: No, he promised. He (swearing) promised.

Fenech: ... (Inaudible).

Theuma: So Kenneth (Kenneth Camilleri former body guard of then prime minister Joseph Muscat) just fell from the sky then, huh?

[Melvin Theuma has previously testified that he was twice visited by Kenneth Camilleri, who delivered a message about the promised bail for the alleged hitmen]

Fenech: That’s why I’m telling you. 

Theuma: He (subject believed to be Keith Schembri) can sort this out himself. 

Fenech: No. 

Theuma: What won’t he fix?

Fenech: ‘Fix, fix,’ he can’t fix it.  

Theuma: So what’s he going to do? What’s he going to do now?

Fenech:  He didn’t even fix his own (court proceedings)...

Theuma: Huh?

Fenech: He couldn’t even sort his own (court proceedings) out. How’s he going to sort this out? 

Theuma: So what do I do? Get Fulu’s brother and take him up there to him (thought to refer to Keith Schembri)?

Fenech: I’m of the opinion, I’m of the opinion, I am of the opinion that I should speak with him again. I already told him (believed to be Keith Schembri), you know.  And he told me: ‘Don’t blame this one on me, you have no reason to... (inaudable). But the other guy (subject unknown). You have to face the other guy.’ 

Theuma: Yeah right. 

Fenech: The (swearing) postman (Kenneth Camilleri). 

Theuma: Yes, he’s the postman, and he didn’t just appear out of thin air. 

Fenech: I had a packet and smoked it. I bought one now, one from the airport and one from... they’re awful. 

Theuma: Do you smoke them?

Fenech: No...(inaudible) Come on, its not worth the temptation. Terrible, yuck. Don’t smoke them.... (calls to one of the children in the car), how was Giorgio singing? (sings) We had a good time there (on holiday overseas). But at night you don’t want to... (inaudible). I made a mistake, because they (the children) get tired. 

Theuma:  They do get tired. 

Fenech: So listen, I get carried away and you do not want me to...(inaudible). You speak to him. Why don’t you want to speak to him (believed to Mario Degiorgio brother of the two alleged triggermen)?

Theuma: No it shouldn’t be me. I shouldn’t. 

Fenech: (Inaudible). 

Theuma: No, because you know what I’ll do? I’ll get Fulu’s brother and I’ll take him to up Mellieħa right to his (Keith Schembri’s) front door. Because I’m not going to be lumped with any responsibility for this. 

Fenech: Well the first thing I told you was that I keep my promises to the very end. No matter what happens or could happen, I’ll do it all... (inaudible). 

Theuma: (sigh).

Fenech: (Inaudible). But get this into your head, that they were there, I know what I’m telling you. Now, whether it was some sort of trick, I just don’t know. I don’t know what was happening...(inaudible). 

Theuma: It was all a big game. 

Fenech: (Inaudible) It was a big game.