Vella had been the Fenech family doctor for 38 years, and was introduced to Keith Schembri by Fenech in 2016, when Schembri was seriously ill with cancer. He then got a call from Yorgen Fenech, who told him to 'go and collect something from Keith.' He said that he called Keith Schembri to tell him that the police were there, and Schembri told him to let them in. Asked who Fenech had called on the way up to Gozo, Vella said it might have been Keith Schembri. The court then heard Vella telling investigators that he had also heard Fenech say: "If I go down, he'll go down with me."