Paul Bailey, the millionaire who was driving the Porsche supercar which crashed into the crowd during the Paqpaqli motorshow was taken to court this afternoon but a planned arraignment did not take place.
Mr Bailey was discharged from hospital in the morning and was driven from hospital to the law courts building in a police car. He was seen in a wheelchair and with a bandaged head.
He said he had been instructed not to comment to the press.
Informed sources said Mr Bailey gave his testimony to the inquiry magistrate while he was in hospital. He was due to be arraigned this afternoon, but the sitting was called off.
Mr Bailey is to be allowed to return home in the UK but may be recalled to Malta.
Mr Bailey owns a large number of cars and brought four supercars to the show in Malta free of charge to help in fund-raised for l-Istrina, the main fundraising event of the Community Chest Fund.
Following the crash there was widespread criticism of the safety precautions during the show, particularly the absence of crash barriers.
Although the charity event, Paqpaqli għall-Istrina, is fronted by popular TV personality Tonio Darmanin, according to the official Facebook page it is organised by the Office of the President.
Times of Malta reported today that President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca has not yet appeared before the magistrate leading the inquiry.
Sources close to the investigation said the President had not yet been summoned to appear before Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera but is expected to be heard at some stage before the inquiry is concluded.
A number of officials from the President’s Office, as well as Mr Darmanin and several volunteers, have already testified.
Yesterday, investigators and court experts continued to sift through evidence that could shed light on what happened, summoning eyewitnesses and anyone who they believe could help in the investigation. They also continued to analyse footage of the incident.
The inquiry is trying to establish what could have gone wrong when a Porsche 918 crashed into a crowd of spectators, injuring 28, on Sunday afternoon.
A number of officials from the President’s Office and several volunteers have already appeared
One of the car’s rear wheels touched the grass as it was being driven at speed.
It then spun and ploughed through plastic barriers and police barriers before hitting a large number of spectators.
There were eight patients still receiving treatment at Mater Dei Hospital yesterday, after another two were discharged and sent home. Two of the remaining patients were still in intensive care. One of them, a 54-year-old man who got wedged between the Porsche and a car on static display, was still in critical condition, sources said.
A 38-year-old woman and her six-year-old daughter, who were also critically hurt, were released from intensive care.