Doctor says he passed on ‘papers’ from Keith Schembri to Yorgen Fenech

A doctor has admitted picking up papers from the residence of former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri and passing them on to Yorgen Fenech after the latter had been arrested in connection with the murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia.

The doctor, Adrian Vella, said he had given the papers to Fenech’s lawyer Gianluca Caruana Curran but they had been immediately snatched away by Fenech.

Vella, who is Fenech’s family doctor, was testifying in the compilation of evidence in the case against Yorgen Fenech, who is accused of masterminding the killing of the journalist with a car bomb on 16 October 2017.

Vella said that when he went to Schembri’s house in Mellieħa, on the instruction of Fenech, Schembri told him to take some papers which were on his desk at home. Vella said he folded them, put them in his pocket, and left the house.

Schembri pointed at the papers, not more than six papers; they were face down, Vella testified. He said he did not know their contents, nor was he told about them. “They never came face up.”

He declared he exchanged no words with Schembri about the case. He headed straight to Fenech’s Portomaso apartment after taking the papers. “I was scared because there was armed police outside his apartment.” Inside were Fenech and his wife and children, and his defence counsel Gianluca Caruana Curran. “I gave the papers to Gianluca,” but these were immediately snatched by Fenech, the witness stated.

Vella said he thought it best to give them to Fenech’s lawyer because of the police presence at the time. Fenech then started scribbling on the papers. Vella added he still did not see the papers’ contents. But at that point Fenech was agitated and said “it cannot be” (ma jistax ikun) as he scribbled on the papers. “Fenech spoke to himself, slammed everything, and said ‘that’s it!’” the witness said.

Vella was said to have passed on a message, allegedly from the hand of Keith Schembri, the chief of staff to former PM Joseph Muscat, to blame the assassination on former minister Chris Cardona.

Cross examined by the defence, Vella said that Schembri used his head to nod at the papers he wanted Vella to take. Asked about why he folded them, Vella said he was not used to looking at the contents when folding papers, adding that he did not see what was written on them.

Vella also testified that he had visited Fenech when he was suffering from chest pains after his arrest. He said that he had visited Fenech at Police Headquarters and that he had given him two tranquilising pills.

During the testimony, parts of which were given behind closed doors, Vella testified about what had taken place before Fenech’s arrest, which had been on 19 November. He said Fenech had called him the Friday before and Vella had suggested that they go to his villa in Għajnsielem. Although Fenech was confused as to why they should go to Gozo, the two left straight away for Ċirkewwa in Vella’s vehicle.

Vella said that his plan was to get Fenech away from everything for a while and then come back to Malta.

Fenech’s brother Franco had joined them the following day. When pressed by prosecuting officer Keith Arnaud what he heard the brothers talking about, Vella said that Franco Fenech had asked Yorgen if he could leave Malta. But Yorgen, Vella said, told his brother that he wanted to remain in Malta. Vella added that Yorgen had claimed that, if he wanted to, he could leave Malta by private jet.

Vella said that he had left Gozo on Saturday, leaving Yorgen alone there. Franco Fenech had called him on Sunday and told him he was going back up to Gozo. Yorgen had been arrested three days later on a boat off Pembroke.

Vella also testified that in a phone- call from Yorgen Fenech, the latter had declared, “If I fall, everyone takes the fall.” ( Ninżel jien, jinżlu kulħadd miegħi). Vella says he assumed it was related to the murder case. “He was agitated,” Vella said.

A minute- by- minute account of the court sitting yesterday may be seen on www. independent. com. mt