A Maltese man who acted as middleman within the assassinate of anti-corruption journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia has suffered extreme knife wounds on the eve of a court hearing.

Police enlighten Melvin Theuma’s wounds to his neck and abdominal had been self-inflicted.

Caruana Galizia died in a bomb attack on her car in 2017.

Extinct taxi-driver Melvin Theuma used to be given a presidential pardon and immunity in substitute for his evidence.

Malta’s police commissioner told a press conference on Wednesday there had been no signs of a spoil-in at his house and that the middleman had told them he had wounded himself.

He had suffered wounds to his neck, wrist and ribs and used to be maintaining a knife when he used to be came upon in his bedroom, Commissioner Angelo Gafa told journalists. He has had surgery and is in a steady condition.

The incident looks to absorb occurred late on Tuesday evening while a 24-hour police guard used to be out of doorways Melvin Theuma’s house – a third-flooring house.

Local experiences said they went in when his companion returned house after the alarm used to be raised by his attorney. The police commissioner said police had been before the entirety stationed internal his flat nevertheless he had complained about invasion of privacy.

The lead investigator within the case, Keith Arnaud, used to be amongst these on the scene and talked to the worn taxi driver.

There used to be incredulity amongst some opposition figures in Malta that the incident will absorb occurred on the eve of a hearing in which Mr Theuma used to be as a result of give evidence.

The case has already brought down Top Minister Joseph Muscat, and now opposition politicians enlighten the dispute failed in its duty to give protection to the most important look.

Why Theuma is vital

His controversial pardon late final 300 and sixty five days got here after he used to be arrested over a separate anti-money-laundering investigation and then provided police records about the 2017 assassinate in substitute for immunity from prosecution.

It used to be his secret recordings and testimony that brought businessman Yorgen Fenech to trial.

The trial, which persisted on Wednesday, had been as a result of hear from Mr Theuma. Mr Fenech denies complicity within the assassinate moreover as different expenses. He used to be arrested on board his luxury yacht as it used to be leaving Malta final November.

The self-confessed middleman has already given evidence, announcing he used to be paid by the suspect to rent three males accused of bright within the attack. He has furthermore said that he lives in misfortune of his existence.

How Caruana Galizia used to be murdered

Two brothers and a friend had been charged with atmosphere off the bomb that killed the anti-corruption blogger in her Peugeot 108 car, strategy her house in October 2017.

When she died aged 53 she used to be thought to be thought to be one of Malta’s most dauntless journalists.

She had been reporting on allegations surrounding the Panama Papers – a mass of paperwork leaked in 2016.

The paperwork revealed that two of Joseph Muscat’s shut buddies had been serious about secret offshore enterprise. One used to be his chief of workers, Keith Schembri, and one other a minister, Konrad Mizzi. There used to be no evidence of money changing hands.