Joseph ‘Żeppi l-Ħafi’ Fenech Passes Away Aged 71

Joseph Fenech, one of Malta’s most controversial figures in criminal and political history, died on Friday aged 71.

Known as Żeppi l-Ħafi, Fenech gained national prominence in 1996 when he was granted a presidential pardon over the attempted murder of then prime minister Eddie Fenech Adami’s personal assistant Richard Cachia Caruana.

Fenech had served as a bodyguard to Fenech Adami in the 1980s.

Former President Ugo Mifsud Bonnici granted him a pardon on a recommendation by Fenech Adami and on condition that he testify in the case and assist the police.

He gave evidence, but his testimony was insufficient to convict Meinrad Calleja, whom he identified as the alleged mastermind behind the plot to kill Cachia Caruana.

In 2009, he invoked the pardon for attempted murder, as well as two other pending cases, a cocaine trafficking case and a burglary case, all of which were dropped.

#MaltaDaily