Citing claims linking him to a failed assassination attempt, former minister Chris Cardona under oath on Thursday stated he did not engage in cabinet debates about presidential pardons related to the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. Cardona stated he had distanced himself in a statement after journalist Vince Muscat, known as il-Koħħu, linked him to an earlier plot to kill Caruana Galizia. Allegedly, the scheme fell short when a deposit was not paid. He had contacted the police. Cardona rejected the allegations as “pure evil fiction” and said he did not sue Muscat since they were based on hearsay.
Serving a sentence for his part in the 2017 murder, Muscat has testified against four men now on trial—Robert Agius, Jamie Vella, Adrian Agius, and George Degiorgio—who are also charged with killing attorney Carmel Chircop in another matter. During Thursday’s sessions, focus shifted to lawyer Arthur Azzopardi, who had represented Muscat during his request for a presidential pardon. Azzopardi’s testimony showed contradictions with that of lead investigator Keith Arnaud and Muscat, especially regarding talks about a €1 million incentive given for information connected to the murder.
Azzopardi said it was Muscat who first brought up the reward offer, while Muscat asserted Azzopardi had done so. The attorney also acknowledged he had not been aware of the incentive prior to that chat. The discrepancies in their versions of a last 2019 meeting arose between Azzopardi and Arnaud when Azzopardi purportedly advised Muscat to recant his testimony to identify information leaks—a statement Arnaud claimed shocked Muscat, who said he would stick to the truth.
He was further interrogated by the prosecution on the number of meetings conducted with police and Muscat; Arnaud remembered more than he did. Regarding discussions about the €1 million incentive, Arnaud remembered Azzopardi warning him it was not his decision to reject the money and that Muscat might pull back his assistance. Azzopardi insisted he only suggested a retraction as a tactical ruse and denied making threats.
Azzopardi and Muscat both voiced worries about safety because they feared the Degiorgio brothers would know Muscat was working with authorities. Although this was first dismissed by police authorities, Azzopardi claimed he asked for police protection after threats were made. He also revealed that Muscat wanted to be included in a foreign witness protection program but was rejected because of language obstacles.
Testimony confirming that Muscat had been the first to identify middleman Melvin Theuma to investigators—a crucial figure who later claimed businessman Yorgen Fenech had ordered the murder—also ran during the day’s session. As the court works to reconcile the conflicting testimonies and assess the veracity of important witnesses, proceedings continue.
