Malta Tycoon Acquitted in Journalist's Car Bombing

Prosecutor Anthony Vella told jurors in his summing up that Fenech believed he could "buy justice," saying: "You are being asked to decide whether a man who had extensive contacts in politics and among the heads of public entities had enough power to pay for Daphne to be killed."

The defense argued the order came from higher up — specifically from Muscat's former chief of staff, Keith Schembri — and that police had not done enough to investigate him. "All roads lead to Keith, and all bridges to Keith were burned," defense lawyer Charles Mercieca said.

Fenech testified: "I never ordered Daphne Caruana Galizia's murder, or anyone else's. I had no role in her murder." He said he acted only as a messenger between Schembri and Theuma, and that Theuma had blackmailed him.

Schembri, who gave evidence at the trial, denied all wrongdoing and said he had no involvement in leaks and no knowledge of the murder.

The Guardian reported the verdict lands as a blow to the victim's family and to the politicians and campaigners who treated the case as a landmark action for press freedom in Europe.