‘Irreparable damage’: Yorgen Fenech complains about Jason Azzopardi’s radio comments
The man accused of masterminding the murder of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia claimed in court that he has suffered “irreparable damage” following statements made by lawyer Jason Azzopardi during a radio show nine days ago.
Azzopardi, a Nationalist MP, is serving as the Caruana Galizia lawyer in the criminal proceedings against Fenech and also in the public inquiry related to the murder.
Yorgen Fenech, through his lawyers, filed an application before the Magistrates’ Court presiding over the compilation of evidence, referring to the comments made by Azzopardi during a radio show on 31 October.
“So is Yorgen, in your (plural) opinion, guilty?” the show’s host Andrew Azzopardi had asked.
“Yes, yes,” Azzopardi replied. “Yorgen Fenech had a very big interest,” he went on, stating that in his view, shared “by many”, former chief of staff Keith Schembri had done everything possible to “cover up” the traces of Fenech’s acts so that “Yorgen Fenech would not be caught out.”
Those statements were made during a live broadcast and a video of the exchange was also streamed on Facebook, garnering some 17,000 views.
Fenech’s lawyers argued that there was clearly a conflict between Azzopardi’s role as shadow minister and MP, and his active role in the prosecution in the murder proceedings.
Such “continuous and repeated” declarations in public were prejudicing those who “would ultimately have to judge” the accused, they argued, stressing that Azzopardi, as parte civile, was bound to safeguard the integrity of the trial and the proper administration of justice, which included safeguarding the accused’s rights.
The lawyers requested Magistrate Rachel Montebello to hear Azzopardi’s testimony as well as that of a representative of the radio station, and subsequently to provide a suitable remedy to prevent similar statements in future and to “neutralize, if possible, the irreparable damage done.”
Lawyers Gianluca Caruana Curran, Marion Camilleri and Charles Mercieca signed the application.