A man claiming to have suffered a 12 per cent disability in a road accident two years ago is suing Justice Minister Owen Bonnici for damages.

Alies Abdulhadi, from Marsascala, said he was badly injured when a Hyundai i20 driven by Dr Bonnici slammed into his Daewoo Matiz on April 3, 2014, at about 9pm. At the time, Mr Abdulhadi said, his car was parked at the side of Triq Ġużè Flores, just outside the Santa Venera tunnels.

On impact, he said in his court application, the car was pushed forward and his leg was caught between his vehicle and another parked in front of it. He suffered a fractured knee.

Five days after the accident, Dr Bonnici publicly acknowledged that he had been involved in a traffic accident in which someone was injured.

Mr Abdulhadi, who said he took the matter to court after both Dr Bonnici and his insurers, Untours Insurance Agency Limited, failed to settle the issue, is demanding compensation for the injuries he sustained.

The case will be heard by Mr Justice Lawrence Mintoff.

In October 2014, Magistrate Claire Stafrace Zammit acquitted Dr Bonnici of charges of causing a traffic accident through negligent driving and causing grievous injuries to Mr Abdulhadi.

The court ruled that “there was not sufficient evidence to prove the charges”.

When he testified, Dr Bonnici said he was not driving at speed.

He admitted that he had been so surprised to see a car parked at the exit of the tunnels that he did not even have time to apply the brakes.

Police Inspector Robert Vella, acting for the prosecution, argued in court that the minister had not kept a proper lookout as required by law. But the magistrate thought otherwise and cleared Dr Bonnici of all the charges.

In his court application, Mr Abdulhadi is holding Dr Bonnici solely responsible for the incident, adding that he suffered extensive financial damages, including doctors’ fees and the loss of work.

The application, signed by lawyers Edward DeBono, Carl Grech and legal procurator Katrina Zammit Cuomo, says that Untours Insurance Agency accepted responsibility for the incident and had paid for the damages to Mr Abdulhadi’s car. The insurance firm had also written to Mr Abdulhadi saying it was prepared to pay any amount according to law.

However, despite a call for the liquidation of damages, neither Dr Bonnici nor the insurance firm came forward to pay damages, the application said.

Sources said the assessment by the medical expert engaged by the insurance company did not tally with that by the medical expert hired by Mr Abdulhadi.