Former prime minister Joseph Muscat’s 2019 birthday party at the official Girgenti residence has resurfaced during Yorgen Fenech’s murder trial, as jurors heard the businessman’s claims about a private conversation he said he had with Muscat during the event.

The claims emerged from recordings of Fenech’s police interrogation following his arrest in November 2019, which were played to the jury as Inspector Kurt Zahra continued testifying.

Fenech told investigators that he had spoken to Muscat twice about Melvin Theuma, the self-confessed middleman in the assassination of journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia.

He said one of those conversations took place at Muscat’s birthday party at Girgenti in early 2019.

According to Fenech’s account to police, Muscat took him upstairs to a small living room where they spoke privately.

Fenech claimed Muscat raised Theuma during the conversation, telling him that Theuma was “talking a lot of rubbish” and asking about what he had on Muscat’s then-chief of staff Keith Schembri.

Fenech said he replied: “Rest easy, I’m protecting Keith as much as I can.” He claimed Muscat responded that something still had to be done.

During the interrogation, Fenech also claimed Muscat asked how much he trusted Theuma. He said he told Muscat he no longer trusted him because of recordings Theuma was making.

Asked by Zahra whether Muscat’s concern was principally about Schembri, Fenech replied: “Exactly, exactly. The prime minister’s concern was Keith.”

Fenech expressly told investigators that he was not alleging that Muscat was involved in the murder plot or knew about it before Caruana Galizia was killed.

“I’m not saying the prime minister was involved in the plot,” he said. “And I’m not saying the prime minister knew beforehand.”

Fenech alleged instead that Muscat became aware of matters afterwards and spoke to him twice.

Uncorking the champagne

Zahra subsequently questioned Fenech’s account of the Girgenti conversation.

The inspector referred to messages extracted from Fenech’s phone showing Muscat messaging him after the party. According to Zahra, Fenech replied with words to the effect: “You were surrounded by people, I felt shy.”

Zahra said the messages did not support Fenech’s account that the two had held the private conversation he described. Defence lawyer Charles Mercieca objected, telling the inspector not to interpret the meaning of the messages.

The court later instructed Zahra that he could explain the investigative work carried out and what emerged from it, but should avoid giving opinions, making arguments or weighing the evidence.

The Girgenti party had already attracted controversy after it emerged that Fenech attended and gave Muscat three bottles of Pétrus wine.

The gathering took place while Fenech was already under surveillance in connection with the Caruana Galizia murder investigation.

The birthday party and the alleged conversation have now returned to the spotlight as part of the evidence being presented to the jury in Fenech’s trial.