A parish priest told his lawyers "my life has ended" as he faces accusations of defrauding his parishioners out of hundreds of thousands of euro in donations.
Some 17 civilian witnesses testified in court on Thursday how they handed over sums of money to him without receiving receipts or later questioning what their donations were spent on.
Many of them praised Fr Luke Seguna's work for the church and the people of Marsaxlokk parish. He denies charges of money laundering and misappropriation and was granted bail at the end of an eight-hour sitting.
The prosecution says he misappropriated some €500,000 donated by 150 parishioners over a 10-year span and that the money was intended for the Church. Seguna, 39, claims the payments were made to him personally.
One parishioner, Nazzarena Schiavone, told the court she transferred €2,000 to him on behalf of her family to pay for windows to be repaired while pensioner Renata Pace said she sent cheques meant for an orphanage in Italy.
Brothers Darren and Mario Desira gave cheques of €1,400 and €1,800 to "help Fr Luke do good".
Several witnesses said they intended their money to go to him personally, including Labour councillor Daniel Zerafa, an atheist, who gave him €600 and said: "If I knew that a single penny went to the Church, I wouldn’t donate."
A previous hearing heard how Seguna amassed a collection of five motorbikes and two cars, held money in 10 bank accounts and spent almost €150,000 on three websites despite his meagre priest's income. Times of Malta later revealed that these websites are understood to be pornographic sites.
Fr Luke Seguna's defence lawyer told the court that his client had told him "my life has ended".
He revealed the comments to the court during an appeal for witnesses in the case to be allowed to testify behind closed doors.
The application was rejected by Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras as the case resumed on Thursday against Seguna.
Earlier the court accepted an application by the Archdiocese of Malta to be parte civile in the case, meaning it will be considered an injured party in the proceedings.
Michael Pace Ross, administrative secretary of the Archdiocese of Malta, testified to the court that the Marsaxlokk parish had passed all annual audits under Seguna's term.
However, he said that "certain outbound payments" were flagged in 2017.
LIVE BLOG
Court session ends
4.59pm After almost eight hours, the court session ends. The compilation of evidence resumes on Wednesday.
Barred from Marsaxlokk
4.58pm The court orders that the accused:
- live at his parents' home
- does not go to Marsaxlokk, except to collect belongings under police escort
- is banned from travelling abroad without court permission
- does not approach witnesses or speak to any donors from Marsaxlokk
- signs a bail book twice a week
- observes a curfew between 9.30pm and 7am
- deposits €20,000 with a personal guarantee of €30,00
Bail conditions
4.42pm Now for the conditions. The defence asks the court, given the nature of the charges, to be more lenient on curfew hours. The lawyer for the Attorney General says that the conditions must reflect the gravity of the charges.
Bail granted
4.38pm The magistrate has upheld the request for bail
Risk of witness tampering
4.10pm The Attorney General lawyer says there are still civilian witnesses to be heard and the risk of witness tampering continues. The defence points out that the prosecution must prove the alleged fear.
Bail request
4.09pm We now move on to a request for bail.
A list of parshioners praised Fr Luke Seguna's charisma, personality and hard work for the parish and those in need. Photo: Facebook'He's charismatic'
4.03pm The next and final witness is Silvana Buttigieg from Marsaxlokk, who helps in the family's catering business and has known the priest since he arrived in the parish.
"He’s charismatic and, gentleman-like," she says. She too attests to maintenance work that has been ongoing at the parish. She recognizes her cheques, €180 for one to Seguna and one for €350 to the parish church.
"The personal donation was for Fr Luke who was going through health problems at the time," she explains. The other cheque was for church needs.
'Inactive economic council'
3.44pm Pensioner Alexander Bugeja from Marsaxlokk is the next person to testify and joins a list of people praising the parish priest.
His "enthusiasm" carried forward projects such as ridding the church of mould and fixing the church organ. He describes the discreet way the community donated "even at night".
Asked about authorisation, Bugeja claims the priest was "left all alone".
He says: "That to my view was negligence. There was an economic council but it was no longer active. So all the burden was shouldered…."
Asked about the arbural, he says that it was a fund for church maintenance, to which he contributed €10 a month. He would hand over money at the parish office and then collect a receipt from the parish secretary. The witness hasn't kept the receipts.
He also gave a donation for the festivities to the 125th anniversary of the parish and during the village feast. He would write a cheque and put it in the collection basket during Mass. He is shown cheques he signed for €120 to 'parish priest, Marsaxlokk', €50 to him "for the feast" and €75, which was "probably for some festivity". There's another for €125 dated this year and €120 from 2018.
Around €120 via Revolut
3.36pm Marlene Camilleri is our 15th witness. She, too, is a parishioner of Fr Luke Seguna and gave him donations, either by cash or via Revolut. She gave around €120 a year.
Rather than donate monthly through the l-arbural system, she gave the money all in one go "to help, as support and encouragement for Fr Luke to keep up his work".
Seguna's lawyer asks her if she was attracted to donate to Fr Luke because of his personal charisma.
"Yes, I probably wouldn't have donated had I not seen his attitude towards people," she says.
Childhood friend
3.30pm The next witness is Josianne Cascun, a director at a private company and friend of the priest. She doesn’t live in Marsaxlokk but has known Seguna since sixth form at De la Salle College. They kept in touch and he celebrated her wedding, baptized her son and officiated at family funerals. She never went to that parish and never gave donations to it, she says.
She said she gave him money when he went to celebrate her family's events. This totalled around €700 across six years, always sent via Revolut.
“And never, never did he ask for money," she tells the court. "I gave out of my own free will. He was doing a lot for us, prayer, celebrating mass. When my granny was in a bad state at a care home, I called him and he immediately went over. She wanted a priest by her bedside and he was there, praying for her. I appreciated that a lot.”
'I gave the money to him... not the Church'
3.25pm Cedric Baldacchino next. He is from Marsaxlokk and met the priest at a restaurant in the village. They talked about cars and he gave him a lift home. "That’s how our friendship started off," he testifies. "I'm not one to go to church but when I do, it's only to hear Fr Luke’s homilies."
He donated €500 over time, all via Revolut. He says the donations were for the priest's "personal needs".
"I know that priests get by on a meagre pay," he says. "I gave the money to him and no one else, not the Church. But to be honest, when in church I used to hear him explain how monies were spent and what sums were needed for the church’s upkeep."
Money for orphanage
3.19pm Renata Pace, a pensioner from Birkirkara is next. Shown a cheque, she explains that she and her mother had given a donation to the Sanctuary of Our Lady Of Pompeii in Italy. She said she gave it to the secretary at Marsaxlokk parish.
"What does Marsaxlokk have to do with sanctuary in Italy? How does Fr Luke feature?" the magistrate asks.
She explains that her personal cheque would not be accepted abroad and Pompei and the Marsaxlokk parish are twinned.
She sent a cheque every two years, once by mail because of COVID restrictions.
"The donations were always for the sanctuary and the orphanage," she says.
Another witness, another donation
3.12pm The next witness from the Marsaxlokk community is pensioner Francis Mifsud. He explains that he met the priest in 2016, attends Mass and is a member of a group of volunteers that help at the church. Although he generally goes to another church, he is aware of parish appeals and he gave a donation of €1,000 in response to one of those appeals.
He is asked about a collection known as l-arbural. These are funds collected on the streets to go towards the community.
Mifsud says he always donated but didn't check how his donation was being used. He saw evidence that work was carried out in the church: air conditioning, window repairs, marble works and dismantling of scaffolding.
After identifying the cheque he had made out to 'Marsaxlokk parish' and given to the priest, this witness steps away. As he does so, the accused gives a brief wave in his direction.
Atheist who gave to a priest
3pm Zerafa confirms that he issued a personal cheque for €600 to Seguna "for him as a personal aid and for the work he does for the Marsaxlokk community". Zerafa didn't ask for any receipt and goes on to praise the work the priest has done in the community.
He shares an example.
"One day I was talking to him at his residence and someone knocked at the door," he says. "Luke told me to distance myself but I could not help overhearing the person saying that he/she did not have money to pay for his/her children to follow online classes. It was just some €20. Luke certainly did something to solve that problem."
Zerafa said the priest opened his eyes up to the social cases and poverty that existed in the village.
"And I gave him money because it's him. If I knew that a single penny went to the Church, I wouldn’t donate," says the witness, an atheist.
Local councillor testifies
2.58pm The next witness is Daniel Zerafa. He’s self-employed and serves as a Labour councillor at Marsaxlokk.
Religious book sales
2.51pm The ninth civilian witness enters the hall. Pauline Bugeja, a pensioner from Rabat, enters with a walking aid and is offered a chair to sit in while testifying.
She says she knows the priest "just by sight, from church".
Confirming a cheque for €1,435, she says the money came from funds collected by her sister, a teacher of religious doctrine for children, from the sale of teaching books.
The funds paid for those books were handed to Seguna because he had bought those books, she explains.
According to her sister, the books were bought by the priest and when the money was recovered by her sister, a cheque for the amount was written and sent to Seguna who had already left the Rabat parish, his previous parish.
Three cheques for €1,000 each
2.45pm Antonia Caruana a pensioner and regular Marsaxlokk parishioner is up next. She has known Seguna since he was a child and has a good relationship with him. She confirms she gave three cheques, for €1,000 each, and that they were all issued to Seguna.
Asked why, she says: "As a donation for the church, for the needs of the parish to be administered by the priest."
She doesn't remember who she handed them to and she said she did not attempt to find out how they were used.
"It wasn't in my interest to know that," she replies. "I was happy and comfortable with the person administering and that’s all."
'I trust him 200%'
2.38pm Next up is Emanuel Farrugia, another Marsaxlokk parishioner. He was a fisherman for 23 and has spent over 30 years working in a kitchen. He got to know Fr Luke over the past six years, he says.
The elderly witness praises the priest's ability to communicate with people.
"You may forget your wallet or mobile at home, but you take your tongue with you everywhere you go,” he says.
He confirms donating a €1,000 cheque for "parish needs".
"I trust him 200%," he says. He doesn't recall getting a receipt and did not ask where his money went.
'I don't trust the Curia. I trust that man'
2.35pm Asked if he was given a receipt, Carabott replies: "Listen, I don't recall but if I did get one, I probably did this." He indicates that he threw it away.
Shown the second cheque for €500, he says he gave it to Fr Luke because he trusts him.
"I don't trust the Curia. I trust that man, Fr Luke," he tells the court.
Cheque 'for his needs'
2.27pm He identifies a €300 cheque that he gave to the priest. Asked why he gave him the cheque, the fisherman replies: "For his needs". What do you mean? "For the parish and the community, to do whatever he wanted with it," Carabott replies. He confirms that he gave a second donation. The witness insists that he gave the money for "any needs the father might have had".
Fisherman testifies
2.22pm Michael Carabott is the next witness. He’s a fisherman, a former Marsaxlokk parishioner who regularly visits the fishing village, and, he says, a friend of the priest.
Case resumes
2.20pm. If you are just joining us, scroll up to read a short summary of this morning's hearing.
Break
1.46pm We're having a short break. We'll be back at around 2.15pm so there's time for a coffee and some lunch before the case resumes.
No confirmation
1.41pm Attorney General lawyer Zammit asks the witness if she got confirmation that her money had gone to the works. The Church lawyer weighs in too. Filletti asks if she was given an account that her money actually went for that purpose.
"I never asked for it," she replies
So you were not given any form of confirmation?
"I was satisfied when I saw the windows," she responds.
Was there any doubt that those monies were used for any other purpose?
"No."
Windows repaired
1.35pm Schiavone said she believed the beneficiary was Luke Seguna and the purpose was “church donation.”
The Attorney General lawyer asks about the specific purpose behind the donation. She recalls how after Mass, Seguna had made an announcement "and my siblings and I decided to give a donation from inherited funds and to use it specifically for the windows".
She says that when the family are in church now, they look up at the windows and "it's evident that they’re in a good state so the works must have been done".
Money for church windows
1.28pm The fourth civilian witness enters. Nazzarena Schiavone, a Marsaxlokk restaurant owner and parishioner, tells the court she gave a donation of €1,200 by bank transfer. It was specifically to cover the cost of works on church windows and those works were accomplished she says. She transferred the money to an account name, which was given to her by Seguna.
Waiting
1.24pm If you’re wondering what’s happening, the court is looking for other cheques to show the witness. Meanwhile, the hum from the corridor outside hall 2 is getting louder. Seems that the line of witnesses are getting a little restless.
'I told Fr Luke that it was for church use'
1.12pm Marsaxlokk parishioner Michael Azzopardi takes the oath and identifies the accused whom he met in church and often spoke to about church matters. Azzopardi also identifies a €2,000 cheque that he had donated.
"I told Fr Luke that it was for church use," he testifies.
He explains that there were maintenance needs such as church speakers or repairs to the dome. Or else there were people in need.
“I gave it to him and that’s it. I trusted him," he tells the court.
'As he best deemed fit'
1.09pm The first civilian witness, Darren Desira, is called back to explain what he meant by the money being used for the priest's personal use. Desira replies that he gave the money for use by the priest "as he best deemed fit".
'I gave him the money to do whatever'
1.01pm Next up is Mario Desira, the brother of the previous witness. He’s in the construction business too. He identifies Seguna and his parents. The witness says he got to know the priest from Marsaxlokk and the two became friends.
Shown the cheques, he says that he gave one of them personally to Seguna and confirms the other was given by his brother.
“I gave him the money to do whatever he was to do with it,” Desira says.
What do you mean? Asks the magistrate.
He explains that the priest did a lot of charity, anonymously, helping families in need.
The magistrate presses him. When you gave him the cheque, what did you have in mind?
“I told him to do what you’re doing. I wished to remain anonymous. I didn’t ask about how those funds would be used.”
Magistrate asks: what do you mean by personal use?
"He would use it in a general manner. To do whatever he deemed fit," repeats the witness.
'I never asked what he would do with the money'
12.56pm The witness is shown the two cheques he issued to Seguna in his personal capacity and recognises them. The amounts of the cheques were €1,800 and €1,400. He says: "I never asked what he was going to do with that money because he has all my trust. I saw the good he was doing in the parish. 100%."
Desira says that the money was left to Seguna’s discretion when asked by the defence if the funds were intended for the Marsaxlokk community or the church itself.
He says the company would also provide scaffolding for works and would buy food for the priest to distribute.
A banner in support of the Marsaxlokk priest hung up in the town last week. It reads: "Marsaxlokk is behind you. Have courage Fr Luke."'I wanted to help Fr Luke do good'
12.48pm The first civilian witness is Darren Desira, who says he is the owner of a construction company. He identifies the parish priest he has known for years.
Asked about any donations by his company, he says that there is no contractual relationship with the accused but that he knew that Fr Luke did a lot of good in the parish and whenever he could Desira would help. He gave him two donations, not this year, probably before COVID.
"I wanted to help Fr Luke continue to do good in the parish," he says. "I never asked for a receipt. I gave a cheque to Fr Luke personally."
Seguna always had something going on in the community such as maintenance works in the church and parishioners said that they received aid from Fr Luke, especially during times of COVID, the witness said.
Civilian witnesses
12.44pm Before we hear from the civilian witnesses, the defence raises a point. It says that it reserves the right to ask for the removal of evidence and to file a constitutional complaint that to date no statement given to the police has been given to the defence.
BOV accounts
12.40pm A Bank Of Valletta representative takes the stand and also presents evidence of accounts held. No amounts are read out.
HSBC accounts
12.34pm Next up, the head of financial crime investigations at HSBC, where Seguna has held accounts in his name since 2016. He presents the court with a box full of documents.
APS accounts
12.31pm A witness representing the Church bank APS, takes the stand. The witness confirms there are two accounts in Seguna’s name at APS.
Witness steps down
12.29pm After almost an hour and a half on the stand, there are no further questions for this witness.
Next we'll hear from three bank representatives, followed by civilian witnesses. The magistrate asks for any elderly people to be called first.
Personal v Church funds
12.23pm Lawyer Alex Scerri Herrera, also for the defence, asks if funds in personal accounts are considered to be church funds. If a parish priest gets money and puts it into his account, those are church funds, the witness says.
The magistrate steps in to clarify that the funds in his personal accounts are his but the source of those funds is a different matter. The witness agrees.
A parish priest has a right to have a personal account and all of the priest's returns and audits were up to date.
Asked if the Curia was satisfied with all the information given, Pace Ross says that once an audit is concluded there is a management letter flagging issues which must be worked upon.
Internal audit
12.14pm Pace Ross says that since the criminal case, the Church is now running an internal audit "to see how we could have done things better."
The auditor is checking "page by page" now. In the past audits were carried out on sample transactions "since it's difficult to go through all the papers of 55 parishes".
'Certain issues were flagged'
12.11pm The witness confirms that in Marsaxlokk returns were always filed on time. Pressed on whether anyone at the Curia flagged any irregularity, Pace Ross says: "There were instances where certain issues were flagged but the [financial] controller is better placed to answer these questions."
Xuereb contends that no-one ever flagged irregularities about his client, who actually rectified a project started by his predecessor.
Pace Ross says there was an email in 2017 sent to Marsaxlokk parish "flagging certain outbound payments".
Donations
12.02pm Questioning moves on to donations. Pace Ross says that if a person gives €20 to their parish priest saying “this is for you” he can keep that. If a donation is given for a statue, for instance, that is for the church, not the Curia.
Pace Ross explains that part of the money goes to a fund to cover all remuneration of clergy. Church collections at mass, during Easter blessings of homes, and so on, are included in this fund. The reason is to ensure that poorer parishes are helped by the richer ones.
This fund has been in existence for more than 20 years and parishes are urged to communicate to parishioners that some of their donations go to this fund. There is a standard form regarding the percentage contributed by the parishes to this fund, Xuereb says.
'Nothing was flagged'
11.57am Pace Ross explains that, every year, internal and external auditors check and corroborate information at the banks. He confirms that not only were these verifications carried out on Seguna every year but that they were always approved.
Nothing was flagged since 2016, Xuereb says. “No,” says the witness. We send queries about any issues to ensure that parishes are operated healthily.
But since 2016 regarding Seguna, no one from the Curia or anyone else ever flagged any irregularities, Xuereb presses.
The witness says that emails were sent to Seguna or his secretary about receipts or such issues. Was there ever any “red flagging, regarding serious issues which you would have told the authorities about?”
We discuss such issues in meetings, the witness responds. In the case of irregularities, there are penalties imposed on the parish, not the parish priest.
'No such talk'
11.53am The defence is speaking now. "Fr Luke never got that type of talk you mentioned about the financial policy," lawyer Matthew Xuereb says. "What have you to say about that?"
The witness says he can't recall. He says the regulations are available to all.
Church structure
11.49am Filletti, the lawyer for the Archdiocese takes over questioning. The witness distinguishes between churches run by the Archdiocese and those run by a religious order. There are some 55 parishes run by the Archdiocese. Other entities like the care home Dar tal-Providenza and the social charity Caritas are separate entities. The administrator of the parish is the parish priest but he must report to the archdiocese. There is also an internal audit function at arms length from the Archdiocese. It is independent.
Technical glitch
11.47am There's a technical hitch in proceedings. We can hear a loud noise from the microphone. The accused suggests a solution, saying it's feedback.
Two loans to priest
11.42am Pace Ross outlines the loan system for priests to buy cars, and property and to study abroad. It’s a facility granted to priests after due scrutiny, he explains.
Seguna was granted a loan of €10,000 to buy a vehicle in 2016 and he paid it back in 2018. He was also granted a loan in 2021 to buy a garage in Paola. That loan is still being paid. Repayments are made on a monthly basis.
Revolut rules
11.39am Pace Ross is unable to say if any project went ahead without authorisation under Seguna. The witness says he will need to gather that evidence.
He is asked about cheques or Revolut addressed to the parish priest. If intended for the church they must go to the parish account, Pace Ross explains. If for the person, then to his personal account. If the sum of cash is more than €5,000, form must be filled in. The administrator or helper or parish priest himself is normally authorised to deposit those funds in the account.
Publicising projects
11.35am Pace Ross is now talking about the process around asking for donations for particular projects. It’s acceptable for a parish priest to make a call for donations to cover a particular project needed in that parish. Projects should not go ahead without Curia approval. Publicity of the project is permissible after the application has been approved. If a project has started without the approval of the Archbishop, it needs to be brought in line and a penalty is imposed, Pace Ross explains.
Parish finances
11.26am We're getting into the nitty gritty of who handles money at parish level. Pace Ross explains that an economic parochial council is chosen by the parish priest.
Funds must be declared in full and receipts must be issued according to VAT law. Monies must be deposited in the bank within a week and not held by a third party. Donors are to fill in a form when their donation exceeds €5,000.
Extraordinary projects with expenses exceeding €5,000 must seek authorisation. He says that he does not have information for all the years since Seguna was parish priest. But any such requests to that effect would be found at the Curia chancellery.
Financial training for priests
11.21 am The Attorney General asks if priests are given regular training on these issues. Pace Ross replies that every year since 2001, seminarians (student priests) are given a talk about the importance of the policies. The clergy is updated when there are any changes.
Church rules on finances
11.15am Pace Ross breaks down the structures and controls on parish accounts.
Every account may only be opened under church authorisation. Each account must bear the name of the entity, not the person and there must be two signatories. Internet banking is allowed but only if it is handled by the administrator. Each sum must be deposited in the bank and if it exceeds €10,000, it must be transferred after 30 days. A bigger parish is allowed a threshold of €20,000.
Donations for masses must be put in the parish account, he continues. It is abusive if donations are deposited in a personal account.
The witness is reading all this from a policy document. He confirms that these policies were in place since 2016.
[For background: an earlier court case heard how Seguna had multiple personal accounts, one of which was called Masses.]
Fr Luke Seguna has been parish priest for Marsaxlokk since 2016. File photo: Matthew MirabelliPriest's CV
11.12am The witness runs through various assignments and roles Seguna has held since he was first on the payroll of the Archdiocese in July 2009. Seguna was first a deacon, then a vice parish priest in 2011 at Rabat. He was also a spiritual director of Verdala college. He became Marsaxlokk parish priest in 2016.
First witness summoned
11.07am Michael Pace Ross is the first witness to testify today. He is the administrative secretary of the Archdiocese of Malta and has held the position since 2015. He handles the administration of property, finances and general admin of the archdiocese. He identifies Seguna.
Archdiocese can join case as injured party
11.05am The magistrate allows the Archdiocese to join the case as parte civile. She says she will decide on whether to extend this to the Marsaxlokk parish at a later stage.
Marsaxlokk parish priest Fr Luke Seguna, right, and Archbishop of Malta Charles Scicluna. Photo: FacebookMagistrate retires to chambers again
10.54am After further legal argument on whether the Church should join the case as part civile, the magistrate again retires to her chambers to decide on the issue.
'Where does the Church feature?'
10.43am The defence is arguing against the Church being considered an injured party. The source of funds was allegedly the parishioners - “physical people who loved Fr Luke,” - his lawyer says. He may have kept the money or donated it. None of those donors ever intended to give “a single euro to the Archbishop. So where does the church feature?”
Filletti says it still needs to be proven if the money was intended for the priest or the Church. He says: "This is the first time that we're hearing all the people of Marsaxlokk never intended to give 'a single euro to the Archbishop!'"
Church's application
10.33am The Magistrate now asks the Church's lawyer, Filletti to explain his application for the Church to be given part civile status. He says that the Archdiocese of Malta as the umbrella institution and the Marsaxlokk parish church, which is a separate entity, were both affected by the case.
"It's like a holding company and other lower structures," Filletti says. "The Church was hit at various levels."
Magistrate rejects applications
10.30am The court rejects the defence's request to have witnesses testify in private. The Attorney General's request for witnesses to testify via video conferencing is also rejected.
Magistrate deliberates
10.21am The magistrate has heard enough and says that she will deliver a decision on this shortly. She retires to her chambers, while all parties wait.
Seguna, all in black and wearing his collar, sits silently.
'Even Melvin Theuma testified in court'
10.18am The Attorney General lawyer suggests that witnesses may testify via video conference. They have what he terms as “biża’ reverenzjali “ (reverential fear) and may be intimidated by the presence of the priest. Xuereb promptly rebuts “I know that comparisons are odious but even Melvin Theuma never testified via video conference but always in open court.”
'My life has ended'
10.16am Seguna's lawyer is talking about the impact of the case on his client. He quotes his client as saying: "My life has ended.” Xuereb turned to the priest and told him, “may I borrow your own words on this?” And those words were “ħajti spiċċat”(my life has ended).
Media leaks
10.11am The defence and the Attorney General lawyers are arguing about alleged media leaks linked to this case. "It is dutiful to point out that in defence‘s application they implied that the prosecution, as public officers, may have divulged information to the media," Zammit says. No-one specifies what leaks or reports they are referring to.
Attorney General lawyers protest
10.08am Attorney General lawyer Andrea Zammit says that the defence request for the witnesses to be heard in secret is not based on legal principles. The principle of open justice does not make a person immune to reporting or restrictions on reporting. Zammit cites from reporting guidelines that it’s not appropriate to limit reporting on the basis of a defendant’s feelings or to avoid embarrassment.
Defence wants witnesses to be heard privately
10.04am The defence asks the court to allow witnesses to be allowed to testify 'behind closed doors', ie not in public.
Xuereb gives a few reasons for this application. He says the defence has "reservations" about media reports. He says the witnesses are people who are not used to court. Allowing them to testify in private would allow them to testify freely, he argues.
"Some are saying that this is a crusade against this clergy man," Xuereb says.
[No reference is made to what media reports are being referred to. However, Times of Malta recently revealed that Seguna is understood to have spent €148,000 on porn sites.]
Objection to Parte Civile request
10.01am Lawyer Stefano Filletti is joining today as parte civile representing the Curia, who want to join the case as an injured party. The defence, through lawyer Matthew Xuereb is objecting to that application.
[We reported this move by the church earlier this week. You can read the report in full here]
Priest arrives
9.59am Seguna has just walked in and takes his place in the dock. His family are seated right behind him.
Case called
9.53am Magistrate Natasha Galea Sciberras has called the case. There's no sign of Seguna yet but his relatives are waiting.