Daphne Caruana Galizia murder: middleman found with stab wounds ahead of court date
Source: The Guardian
The self-confessed middleman in the murder of the Maltese anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has suffered multiple knife injuries to his neck, torso and wrist, hours before he was due to give evidence in the case.
Melvin Theuma, a former taxi driver, was found in a pool of blood at his home on Tuesday evening and was rushed to hospital where he underwent surgery. He is in a stable condition, police said at a press conference on Wednesday morning.
Theuma was granted a pardon in November to reveal what he knew about the car bomb murder that shocked the Mediterranean island in October 2017.
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The indications were that the injuries were “self-inflicted”, Malta’s police commissioner, Angelo Gafà, told reporters. There were no “defensive wounds” and blood splatter patterns indicated self-injury.
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/22/daphne-caruana-galizia-middleman-found-with-stab-wounds-ahead-of-court-date
And BBC report: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-53497739
It was his secret recordings and testimony that brought businessman Yorgen Fenech to trial.
The trial, which continued on Wednesday, had been due to hear from Mr Theuma. Mr Fenech denies complicity in the murder as well as other charges. He was arrested on board his luxury yacht as it was leaving Malta last November.
The self-confessed middleman has already given evidence, saying he was paid by the suspect to hire three men accused of carrying out the attack. He has also said that he lives in fear of his life.
Someone might be persuaded to injure himself to protect someone else, such as his wife. Or to avoid a painful death.
