Yorgen Fenech has testified that Melvin Theuma had recordings of former OPM chief of staff Keith Schembri and claimed those recordings could still exist today.

Asked in court whether he had told Schembri about a letter from Theuma, Fenech said he had called him and asked him to come over.

“I told Keith Schembri. I called him and told him to come. He came. He gave me papers, the contract of the phantom job, the USB, etc,” Fenech testified.

“The USB also included recordings of Keith.”

Fenech claimed Schembri subsequently heard recordings of himself on two separate occasions.

“On two occasions, Keith heard his recordings, one time through the police commissioner and the other from the actual USB,” he told the court.

Fenech went a step further, telling the court he believes Theuma never destroyed the recordings.

“The recordings still exist today, I’m sure, because he’s too smart to get rid of them.”

Fenech placed these events in October or November 2018, after which he said he attempted to distance himself from Theuma while continuing to meet him occasionally.

“From there, I tried to take a step away from Melvin. I would still meet him occasionally.”

He recalled one occasion when Theuma allegedly went to his office, fell to his knees and apologised to him.

“One time, he came to my office, fell to his knees and told me, ‘I’m sorry, I know you tried to help me.’”

“I’m a good person, maybe too good, and I tried to help,” Fenech said. “I thought we had fixed things.”

Fenech also testified that his drug addiction subsequently became worse, describing the situation as “scary” and saying he continued obtaining drugs through Theuma while in Malta.

“I was getting my drugs from him, when I was in Malta, yes, I’d get my drugs from him.”

Fenech then criticised Theuma over his eventual pardon, telling the court: “And with the pardon, he didn’t even have the decency to admit this.”