Murder suspect Yorgen Fenech and Revenue Commissioner Marvin Gaerty exchanged messages about a story written by “that witch”, an inquiry board heard on Friday.
Confronted about the message during the public inquiry into journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia’s death, Gaerty claimed not to know who “the witch” Fenech had referred to was.
The journalist’s detractors, including political figures, often derided her publicly as “the Bidnija witch”.
The February 2019 exchange centered on foreign holdings that Fenech told Gaerty he had paid taxes on in 2016, and which “the witch” first wrote about in 2017.
Caruana Galizia had first made a cryptic reference to Fenech’s company 17 Black in February 2017. She was blown up by a car bomb outside her home eight months later.
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The police have revoked bail granted last December to tax chief Marvin Gaerty, following his interrogation over chats with murder suspect Yorgen Fenech.
Gaerty’s lawyers Franco Debono and Amadeus Cachia confirmed when contacted on Saturday that their client had been called by the Financial Crime Investigation Department and told there was no need to report at their offices for an appointment he had been given for Monday.
They confirmed that Gaerty, who has continued to perform his role of tax chief, was told that he was no longer on police bail although investigations were continuing.
The Inland Revenue Commissioner had been questioned by police on December 22 as part of an investigation into trading in influence involving the businessman who stands accused of conspiring to murder journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Inland Revenue Commissioner Marvin Gaerty no longer on police bail
Gaerty had been interrogated by the police after mobile chats with Yorgen Fenech suggested trading in influence
20 February 2021, 2:15pm
by Matthew Agius
Inland Revenue Commissioner Marvin Gaerty is no longer on police bail, his lawyers have confirmed.
Gaerty had been released on police bail last December after being questioned by police over chats with Yorgen Fenech, as part of an investigation into trading in influence with Fenech, who stands accused of conspiracy to murder journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
Gaerty’s lawyers Franco Debono and Amadeus Cachia confirmed with the MaltaToday that the tax chief had been interrogated by the Financial Crime Investigation Department and had been told that he had been released from police bail.
When Robert Abela delivered his Labour leadership victory speech almost a year ago, he gave his word that mistakes of the past would not happen again. He seemed to be suggesting a change from a previous administration that ignored claims of corruption. Over the subsequent year, his vow would be tested, often by stories and secrets revealed by Times of Malta journalists. News editor
Diana Cacciottolo looks back on some of the key stories Times of Malta exposed in 2020.
Yorgen Fenech Photo: Mark Zammit Cordina
1. Jobs for the boys, part one
Within days of becoming prime minister, Abela announced the resignation of controversial police chief, Lawrence Cutajar, who failed to investigate top government officials or follow up on financial crime during his tenure. But Times of Malta revealed that he was then handed a government contract for his “expertise in public safety and logistics”. The contract was only terminated when Times of Malta published another, more serious revelation
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