Yorgen Fenech is a Maltese businessman whose primary interests are hotels and casinos in Malta. He was director of the Maltese-Azerbaijan German company Electrogas.
Suspected of bribing individuals of the Maltese authorities, in November 2019 Fenech was arrested as a suspect withinside the murder of the investigative-journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia. He is a key figure withinside the 2019 protests in Malta and 2019 Malta political crisis.
Fenech is a outstanding Maltese businessman. He was recognized in 2018 as being the owner of the Dubai-registered agency 17 Black. The agency was listed withinside the Panama Papers and investigative journalist Caruana Galizia had written approximately 17 Black 8 months before her death, alleging the agency had links to Joseph Muscat's chief of staff Keith Schembri and to former energy minister Konrad Mizzi. Later, the research group The Daphne Project got here throughout e-mails among 17 Black and shell corporations in Panama, belonging to Mizzi or Schembri. The emails noted payments of up to $2 million for unspecified services. Mizzi became then Minister of Energy in Malta, Schembri Chief of Staff of PM Joseph Muscat.
Fenech was director of power company Electrogas and CEO of the Tumas Group; in 2019 he resigned from each positions. On 25 November 2019 Tumas Group stated that allegations linking Fenech to the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia had been "alien to the Tumas Group's values".
Investigative Daphne Caruana Galizia died in a attack near her home,On 16 October 2017. attracting widespread local and global reactions. In December 2017, 3 men had been arrested in connection with the car bomb attack.
In November 2019, Prime Minister Joseph Muscat introduced a deal with Melvin Theuma, a suspected intermediary withinside the murder. Theuma was thought which will provide complete information about the murder case and other crimes, and acquired a presidential pardon in alternate for information regarding the mastermind of the murder.
A day after Theuma's arrest, Fenech tried to leave Malta on his personal yacht, with the Armed Forces of Malta intercepting and arresting him as a "person of interest" withinside the Caruana Galizia murder enquiry. Fenech went on to provide himself as a witness. He promised information approximately the murder case and other offenses, in alternate for immunity. The request was now no longer granted. An indictment was filed in opposition to Fenech, On 30 November 2019 and he was accused of complicity withinside the murder of Caruana Galizia. Fenech pleaded now no longer guilty.
Six days after the arrest of Fenech, Keith Schembti resigned his authorities post as Chief of Staff, and was finally questioned through the police. Schembri was later launched on police bail.
The doctor Adrian Vella was additionally arrested for questioning. Vella's name occurred in some of companies registered or managed through Panama. He is stated to have been served as a mystery messenger between Schembri and Fenech.
Fenech, in his court statement, accused Schembri of being the mastermind at the back of the Caruana Galizia murder. Schembri is likewise accused of getting attempted to persuade Fenech in order to frame Christian Cardona as responsible for the murder of Caruana Galizia. The case remains ongoing.
Investigations for fraud and or cash laundering are being undertaken on some of businessebterprise connected to Yorgen Fenech including, ElectroGas Malta, the Možura wind farm and Gaming licences.
