Father Luc Segouna made three transactions totaling 148 euros to pornographic websites, which his bank had flagged as a possible scam, a court heard on Monday.
One detail emerged during the police testimony of the Marsaxlokk parish priest, during which Seguna pleaded not guilty to charges of fraud, embezzlement and money laundering.
The court heard that on August 8, a team of investigators from the Financial Crime and Cyber Crime Unit, crime scene officers and representatives from the Asset Recovery Agency gathered at Marsaxlokk Parish House.
Father Segouna was given a copy of the search warrant containing information about the criminal charges against him and a letter of rights. He was cooperative throughout the process, according to testimony from Inspector Lianne Bonello.
Father Seguna immediately provided his phone's password and deleted the device's security features.
Police subsequently searched the premises and seized jewellery, branded clothing and documents, which were placed in evidence bags and handed over for further enquiries.
Four hours later, the police search shifted from the vicarage to the parish office, the suspect's Land Rover and his garage in Paola.
When confronted by his lawyer, Father Seguna chose to remain silent.
When questioned in the presence of his lawyers, the priest chose to remain silent and refused to answer most questions.
When asked by the defense whether there had been any authoritative investigations into the case, Bonello said that these investigations were just "part of the daily work of the police."
Police are not required to conduct an investigation when laying charges, and further questions about how one case is distinguished from another, and how police collect evidence, can be answered by questioning witnesses.
Seguna was cooperative throughout the search and presented in court receipts for jewellery, keys, clothing, diaries and checkbooks seized by police.
The pastor knew about the payment methods associated with the adult website.
At a hearing, an anti-money laundering official took the stand to clarify the figures involved in his previous testimony.
Christopher Ellul said that between 2015 and 2022, the priest actually received 487 euros instead of the 511 euros previously announced.
Regarding the amount of the check transferred from the parish account to his personal account, it was actually not €24 but €000.
Around €148 was traced from the priest's HSBC Mastercard and Revolut accounts to three payment processing sites linked to the adult website LiveJasmin.
The bank has flagged the transactions to the pastor, suggesting he may have been the target of a scam.
However, the account holder said he was aware of the payments.
The signature on the check for 18 euros did not match the actual amount.
Ryan Agius, an official with the FCID, said police also suspected that a third party had written checks to the priest for a total amount of approximately 18 euros.
Officials in charge of the priest's finances said the checks were of concern because of discrepancies in signatures and because the donor's dementia symptoms appeared to be worsening.
Police have received confirmation from medical professionals.
Seguna revealed during interrogation that some of the funds came from donations, particularly the huge one he received on his tenth anniversary.He said he would ask donors to indicate the intention of their donation, whether it was for himself or for the entire parish.
The priest has the right to remain silent while handling a variety of matters, including handling checks received from dementia patients, scrutinizing signature discrepancies and transferring amounts from parish accounts to his own.
Father Seguna said he needed to verify when he was asked if he could see his credit card and Revolut account.
The priest told police that the name "Mass" associated with one account was chosen randomly and had nothing to do with the church.
He said his former predecessor had already taken on some diocesan projects.
When asked about the diocese's declining revenue, the pastor noted that COVID-19 has also had an impact on church funding.
Police said the outbreak was a subsequent incident.
Eventually, the dementia patient donated all of his wealth to churches and charities, according to the priest's defense.
When a donor was diagnosed with dementia, did the police conduct an appropriate investigation? Did they consult a psychiatrist or doctor to confirm whether there was fraud? Xuereb questioned how the police could conclude that there was fraud. What about such a conclusion?
The lawyer asked: "Are you an accountant?"
"No, but I took the class," the witness responded.
The case is still ongoing.
Ramon Bonnet Sladden and Andrea Zammit have been sued for sexual abuse and abuse of power by clergy in the churches of the Archdiocese of Malta. The lawsuit involves two priests and a church director who are suspected of long-term abuse of the rights of women in the diocese. The defense team in this lawsuit includes Matthew Xuereb and Alex Scerri Herrera, who will face the charges together with Ramon Bonnet Sladden and Andrea Zammit. The Archdiocese of Malta is represented by lawyers Stefano Filletti and Kristina Sutton. The truth and justice of this lawsuit are of great concern because it is one of the longest-running and most extensive scandals within the Archdiocese of Malta. The victims have publicly accused the defendants of misconduct, and the details of the accusations have attracted widespread attention from the public and the Pope. Despite such great pressure and doubts, the legal team still insists that they are the legitimate representatives of the victims and will continue to work hard to defend the rights of the victims. The outcome of this lawsuit will not only affect the fate of the defendants, but also have far-reaching implications for the entire Archdiocese of Malta.
