Update: Yorgen Fenech released on bail, under surveillance. Interrogations set to continue. – Read More
A boat belonging to 17 Black owner Yorgen Fenech was intercepted at sea and returned to Malta early on Wednesday morning. Witnesses said the luxury yacht was intercepted by an Armed Forces of Malta patrol boat shortly after it left Portomaso around 5.30am.
Reuters reports that Malta police arrested one of the country’s most prominent businessmen on Wednesday in connection with an investigation into the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, two sources said.
17 Black owner Yorgen Fenech was arrested on Wednesday morning after he was intercepted at sea aboard his yacht ‘Gio’ by Armed Forces of Malta personnel. the team investigating the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia sought and obtained a formal warrant for his arrest, Newsbook reported.
A joint investigation by Times of Malta and Reuters last year revealed that 17 Black is owned by Tumas Group CEO Yorgen Fenech, who forms part of the Electrogas power station consortium. This was also confirmed in an FIAU report.
Later in the day, reports emerged that 17 Black director Yorgen Fenech has resigned from Tumas Group. Fenech was the group’s director, legal and judicial representative. He was instead replaced by his brother Franco Fenech.
This is according to the information filed on the Malta Business Registry on Wednesday. The signed document shows that the effective date of change is November 12.
Soon after the news broke, the Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that he would not speculate on the reasons behind the arrest of Yorgen Fenech, saying that he wants to be cautious in what he says as anything he does might prejudice the case. He said that today’s events confirm that, as he had said two years ago soon after the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia, he is leaving no stone unturned in search of the culprits. He added that the recent events also show that the country’s institutions are working as they should.
Muscat was also reported saying that he will be prudent in his comments because he does not want them to in any way prejudice the case. He said that yesterday he was forced to make public comments after media stories which, he said, may have alerted persons of interest.
The Malta Independent reports that PM Muscat said that he had given instructions to the authorities to be on the lookout for persons of interest who could react following the news in the media. “If I had not given these instructions maybe today we would be speaking about persons of interest who may have escaped,” Muscat said.
Nationalist Party leader Adrian Delia, in a Press Conference in Zagreb, where he was attending for the EPP Congress, said that he was going to return to Malta in view of the last developments. He called for political responsibility in view of the links that his chief of staff Keith Schembri and Minister Konrad Mizzi are linked to the company owned by Fenech, 17 Black.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that he will not abdicate responsibility at what he described was a delicate period for the country in an address to Parliament this evening.
PN deputy leader Robert Arrigo twice asked Dr Muscat whether he had fired – or was planning to fire – the two men, but Dr Muscat ultimately stood by them, stating that they had not been mentioned in relation to today’s developments.
Prime Minister Joseph Muscat said that he will not abdicate responsibility at what he described was a delicate period for the country in an address to Parliament this evening.
The opposition walked out of parliament as soon as he was finished.
Asked whether after today’s news he felt it was time to resign, Mizzi said that today is a day where it is clear that Malta’s institutions are independent and that the Maltese police can work and are indeed working, and that the government did want to solve the assassination of Daphne Caruana Galizia and in fact made all the resources, both local and international, available.
PL MPs were reluctant to say whether OPM Chief of Staff Keith Schembri and Tourism Minister Konrad Mizzi should resign in light of the latest events, revolving around the arrest of 17 Black owner Yorgen Fenech.
In the evening, crowds of protesters have descended on Valletta this evening to demand the resignation or removal of Prime Minister Joseph Muscat. They are calling on Muscat to either resign or, short of that, for parliament to exercise its power to remove him from his post.
Earlier, Daphne Caruana Galizia’s son, Matthew Caruana Galizia, in a tweet confirmed that Fenech was arrested on the boat.
Confirmed: Yorgen Fenech was on the boat and tried to escape Malta. This is the man whose role was to remit bribe payments to Muscat’s chief of staff. Who is still his chief of staff. https://t.co/2sMbu6lzMO
— Matthew Caruana Galizia (@mcaruanagalizia) November 20, 2019
Meanwhile, journalist Manwel Delia, who runs the blog www.manueldelia.com, also reports that Yorgen Fenech is suspect in Daphne murder.
NewsBook reports that the reactions from various politicians and public persons on the unfolding developments. So does The Times of Malta, which also includes the reactions of NGO Repubblika which said that the PM should resign as by protecting Keith Schembri and Konrad Mizzi, he created the state of impunity – the Mafia State – that not only allowed a corrupt contract to be awarded, but led to the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.
MaltaToday analyses the situation and claims that the Prime Minister can boast of progress in the Daphne Caruana Galizia murder investigation but the arrest of Yorgen Fenech also has political ramifications
Media reports on this Developing Story:
Newsbook:
Arrestat Yorgen Fenech wara li pprova jaħrab minn Malta
PM insists he will not step down
17 Black director Yorgen Fenech resigns from Tumas Group
Times of Malta :
17 Black owner Yorgen Fenech arrested after AFM intercept boat at sea
‘I am protecting no-one’ Muscat insists as resignations pressure mounts
Caruana Galizia family welcomes Fenech’s arrest, calls for further investigation
The Malta Independent
17 Black owner’s boat intercepted at sea, Yorgen Fenech in police custody
‘I don’t know who owns 17 Black, and I have no association with it’ – Konrad Mizzi
PL MPs reluctant to say whether Schembri, Mizzi should resign
TVM:
Rapporti li Yorgen Fenech ġie arrestat
Hemm responsabbiltà politika x’tintrefa’ – Dr Adrian Delia
One News :
Yorgen Fenech arrestat… imwaqqaf ħiereġ minn Malta bil-jott
Il-PM: “Nerfa’ r-responsabbiltajiet kollha”
MaltaToday :
17 Black owner Yorgen Fenech under arrest after yacht stopped from leaving Portomaso
[ANALYSIS] Joseph Muscat’s three choices: No change, leave or just kick them out
NetNews :
Yorgen Fenech miżmum mill-Pulizija
Id-deputati tal-PN joħorġu ‘l barra mill-Parlament fuq struzzjonijiet tal-Kap Adrian Delia
Il-pressjoni fuq il-Gvern Malti fuq fomm il-mexxejja kollha Ewropej
ManuelDelia.Com:
Yorgen Fenech is suspect in Daphne murder
BeInformed – Media and Intelligence Monitoring
