Marsaxlokk parish priest Luke Seguna is believed to have spent nearly €150,000 of parishioners’ money on pornographic websites as he faces accusations of money laundering in court.
Sources close to the investigation told Times of Malta that Seguna was accused of misappropriating parishioners’ donations and used large volumes on the sites that provide live sex shows by performing artists against a fee.
It is understood that this went on for several years.
Seguna is believed to have told investigators he was struggling with a “sexual crisis” triggered by a major health problem at the time.
When contacted, his lawyers José Herrera and Matthew Xuereb, said their client denies any wrongdoing.
“It must be pointed out that our client is in no way accused of any related offence. We further emphasise that, at this point in time, our client is presumed innocent and, therefore, any comments and reporting is mere conjecture.
"We would also like you to consider the irreversible harm that such reporting will cause our client and his family even in the eventuality that he will be acquitted from the charges brought against him.”
The parish priest is pleading not guilty to charges of misappropriation and money laundering after he was arraigned last week.
Seguna, 39, is claiming the payments were made to him personally whereas the prosecution says he misappropriated some €500,000 given to him by 150 parishioners over a 10-year span and that the money was intended for the Church.
He was also charged with fraud, falsifying a public deed and using a falsified document. Seguna had hundreds of thousands of euros deposited in various bank accounts and a collection of five motorbikes and two cars, despite a relatively meagre income as a clergyman.
In Seguna’s second court sitting on Wednesday, the court heard how some €148,000 went to payment processing companies linked to “three particular websites”.
However, details of these sites were not divulged after the defence lawyers interjected saying the nature of the websites was irrelevant to the merits of the case.
The testimony was briefly suspended while the parties discussed the issue in private with the presiding magistrate.
The court, presided over by Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras, did not issue a ban on publication of the website details but said that the “least possible details” should be given in open court.
Originally from Tarxien, Seguna was appointed Marsaxlokk parish priest in 2016, previously serving parishes in Żabbar, Żejtun and Rabat.
The case against him will continue next week.