Justice Minister Owen Bonnici. Photo: Jason BorgJustice Minister Owen Bonnici will next month face criminal charges for driving with negligence and causing involuntary serious injuries to another person following a traffic accident in Santa Venera last April.
In the court summons against Dr Bonnici, which was released to Times of Malta by the ministry, the police are asking the court to disqualify the minister’s driving licence for a period it deems fit.
The traffic accident happened last April just outside the Santa Venera tunnels as the minister was driving his car at around 9.30pm.
Dr Bonnici, who only spoke about the accident after it was reported in the media, had described it as unfortunate and said he was shocked when he realised someone was injured.
Asked whether he was considering resigning or suspending himself from administering the justice portfolio now that he is facing criminal charges, a spokeswoman for Dr Bonnici said he did not feel he needed to, as this was a completely unfortunate accident, which could happen to anyone.
“The charges are normal charges as would be charged in any other similar accident. Dr Bonnici co-operated fully with the authorities. He is undertaking all the procedures which any citizen would undertake in such circumstances.”
Apart from the general administration of justice, Dr Bonnici is also the person responsible in the government to nominate who should become a judge or a magistrate even from among the current members of the judiciary.
“All members of the judiciary, including the magistrate who will preside over the case, enjoy total independence and impartiality from the executive guaranteed in the Constitution,” Dr Bonnici’s spokeswoman said.
It was an unfortunate accident, which could happen to anyone
She accused the PN media of “trying to score political points” out of this incident.
Dr Bonnici is not the first member of the executive to face criminal charges in court.
Although unrelated, in 2010 former parliamentary secretary Chris Said had to face perjury charges over a child custody case he had defended in his capacity as a lawyer some years before.
Dr Said – then responsible for public dialogue and consumer affairs – had resigned from his post on the executive the day the court charges were issued in order to clear his name.
He was eventually found not guilty and was re-appointed as Parliamentary Secretary.