Court Case Begins Against Yorgen Fenech for the Murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia

Yorgen Fenech 因謀殺 Daphne Caruana Galizia 而面臨審判

Jul 1, 2026, 20:28

Introduction

Legal proceedings have started in Valletta against businessman Yorgen Fenech. He is accused of planning the 2017 murder of investigative journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

瓦萊塔已對商人 Yorgen Fenech 展開法律程序。他被指控策劃於 2017 年謀殺調查記者 Daphne Caruana Galizia。

Main Body

The prosecution claims that Mr. Fenech, who inherited a large property business, organized a conspiracy to kill Ms. Caruana Galizia. According to the charges, he wanted to stop the publication of reports about his uncle and his own business interests, specifically a power station project. The state emphasizes that Mr. Fenech used a middleman, Melvin Theuma, to hire George and Alfred Degiorgio. It is alleged that a payment of €150,000 was agreed upon for the crime, which was carried out using a car bomb on October 16, 2017.

控方指稱繼承了大型房地產業務的 Fenech 先生組織了一場陰謀來殺害 Ms. Caruana Galizia。根據起訴書，他希望阻止關於其叔叔及其自身商業利益（特別是一個發電廠項目）的報告發表。政府強調 Fenech 先生透過中間人 Melvin Theuma 聘請了 George 和 Alfred Degiorgio。據稱雙方同意支付 15 萬歐元作為犯罪酬金，該案於 2017 年 10 月 16 日透過汽車炸彈執行。

This trial is the final part of a larger legal process involving seven people. Previously, five accomplices were convicted: the Degiorgio brothers received 40-year sentences in 2022, while Robert Agius and Jamie Vella were sentenced to life imprisonment in 2025 for providing the explosive device. Vincent Muscat received a shorter 15-year sentence after cooperating with the police. Furthermore, this case caused significant political instability and contributed to the resignation of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat in 2019.

這次審判是一個涉及七人的大型法律程序的最後一部分。此前已有五名共犯被定罪：Degiorgio 兄弟於 2022 年被判處 40 年監禁，而 Robert Agius 和 Jamie Vella 則因提供爆炸裝置於 2025 年被判處終身監禁。Vincent Muscat 則因與警方合作被判處 15 年的較短刑期。此外，本案導致了嚴重的政治動盪，並促使總理 Joseph Muscat 於 2019 年辭職。

The court has followed strict rules during the trial, including keeping the jury completely isolated to prevent outside influence. However, the defense has challenged the prosecution's evidence. They specifically argued that the audio recordings provided by Mr. Theuma are inaccurate. Mr. Fenech has pleaded not guilty to the charges of helping to commit murder and criminal association.

法庭在審理期間採取了嚴格規定，包括將陪審團完全隔離以防止外界影響。然而，辯方對控方的證據提出了質疑。他們特別主張 Melvin Theuma 提供的錄音不準確。Fenech 先生對協助謀殺和刑事結社的指控 pleads 不認罪。

Conclusion

Mr. Fenech is still on trial and faces a possible life sentence as the court examines the evidence regarding his alleged role in the plot.

Fenech 先生目前仍在審理中，隨著法庭審查其在陰謀中所扮演角色的證據，他可能面臨終身監禁。

Vocabulary Learning

🧩 The 'Distance' Strategy: From A2 Fact to B2 Nuance

At the A2 level, you say things as simple facts: "He did it" or "He is guilty." But in professional or legal English (B2), we use Hedging. This means we create 'distance' between the speaker and the fact to avoid being wrong or too aggressive.

🔍 The Linguistic Shift

Look at how the article moves from simple statements to "cautious" language:

A2 Style: "He planned the murder." $\rightarrow$ B2 Style: "He is accused of planning..."
A2 Style: "He paid money." $\rightarrow$ B2 Style: "It is alleged that a payment... was agreed upon."

🛠️ Your B2 Toolset: The "Doubt" Verbs

To sound more fluent and academic, stop using "is/are" for everything. Use these instead:

To Allege: To say someone did something bad, but you have no proof yet.
- Example: "The report alleges that the company stole the money."
To Claim: To state something is true, even if others don't believe it.
- Example: "The witness claims she saw him at the station."
To Challenge: To say that a piece of information is wrong.
- Example: "The lawyer challenged the evidence provided by the police."

⚡ Quick Comparison

A2 (Direct/Basic)	B2 (Nuanced/Professional)
He is a criminal.	He is alleged to be involved in criminal activity.
The audio is wrong.	The defense challenged the accuracy of the recordings.
He wants to stop the news.	He is claimed to have wanted to prevent the publication.

Pro Tip: Using these phrases doesn't just make you sound 'smarter'—it protects you from making false statements in a professional environment.

Vocabulary Learning

proceedings (n.)

The official actions taken in a court of law to settle a legal case.

Example:The legal proceedings against the company began early Monday morning.

prosecution (n.)

The legal party responsible for presenting the case against an accused person in a criminal court.

Example:The prosecution presented new evidence to prove the defendant's guilt.

conspiracy (n.)

A secret plan by a group of people to commit an unlawful or harmful act.

Example:The police uncovered a conspiracy to overthrow the local government.

alleged (adj.)

Said to have happened or be true, but not yet proven.

Example:The alleged thief was seen leaving the building with a heavy bag.

accomplices (n.)

People who help someone else to commit a crime.

Example:The robbers were caught, but their accomplices managed to escape.

convicted (v.)

Declared guilty of a criminal offense by the verdict of a jury or the decision of a judge.

Example:He was convicted of fraud and sentenced to three years in prison.

instability (n.)

A state of being unstable; lack of predictability or reliability, often in a political context.

Example:Economic instability can lead to widespread social unrest.

isolated (adj.)

Kept separate from other people or things.

Example:The witnesses were kept isolated to ensure their testimonies were not influenced.

challenged (v.)

To dispute the truth or validity of something.

Example:The lawyer challenged the witness's statement during the cross-examination.

Practice B2 words in a crossword→