Joseph Fenech, ‘Żeppi l-Ħafi’, dies aged 71

One of the most controversial figures in Malta’s criminal and political history, Joseph Fenech, better known as Żeppi l-Ħafi, has died at the age of 71.

Fenech passed away on Friday. His funeral is scheduled to be held on Tuesday.

Żeppi l-Ħafi first came to national prominence in 1996 when he was granted a presidential pardon in connection with the attempted murder of Richard Cachia Caruana, the personal assistant of then prime minister Eddie Fenech Adami.

Fenech had served as a bodyguard to Fenech Adami during the 1980s. The pardon was granted by former President Ugo Mifsud Bonnici on the recommendation of the prime minister and was conditional on Fenech cooperating with investigators, providing testimony in court and assisting the police in their inquiries.

Although Fenech did testify, his evidence was ultimately insufficient to secure the conviction of Meinrad Calleja, whom he identified as the alleged mastermind behind the plot to assassinate Cachia Caruana.

In 2009, Fenech successfully invoked the terms of the presidential pardon to cover not only the attempted murder case but also two other pending criminal proceedings against him: a cocaine trafficking case and a burglary case. As a result, all three cases were dropped.

The following year, Fenech was acquitted of fraud charges linked to a failed property transaction in Burmarrad.

In 2012, he was again cleared by the courts, this time of charges relating to damage caused to a vehicle and the slight injury of a man during an altercation that had taken place two years earlier.

RSS Feed Source: Independent Malta Joseph Fenech, ‘Żeppi l-Ħafi’, dies aged 71