A man doing work on an external wall, though Mr Dalli insists the work consisted only of a soil consignment.

Patrick Dalli, husband of the Civil Liberties Minister, told a court yesterday that the “illegal work” claimed by Times of Malta in November of last year was simply a consignment of three truckloads of soil contracted by the person who was buying the property.

He insisted that the work only involved the delivery of soil, despite photographs published by the newspaper in which a worker is seen sitting on a plank of wood doing work on an external wall.

During his testimony, Mr Dalli also complained that the series of articles over illegal work on his Żejtun farmhouse, a stone’s throw from the Dalli residence, was damaging his reputation as an artist.

He said whenever anyone typed his name into Google, the first story was about his art and the second involved the property issue. This was damaging his reputation and could affect his artistic career.

He was testifying during libel proceedings he instituted against Times of Malta and journalist Caroline Muscat over a series of stories regarding the farmhouse.

He referred to the presence of a PADA Builders bobcat on site, which he said had been ‘dumped’ outside the farmhouse

Referring to a story entitled ‘Minister’s husband had no knowledge of illegal works’, Mr Dalli reiterated that he did not know of any work on the farmhouse until he received a call from the news­paper requesting his comments.

He said that, although the property was his, he did not even have a key to the farmhouse.

“I swear I did not know,” he said as he explained that soon after receiving the call from the newspaper, he called Jason Desira, the person who signed the promise of sale agreement, to stop him from carrying out any work.

He said Mr Desira told him his sister was removing soil from the property she had purchased and, instead of dumping it, he decided to take it to the farmhouse.

When asked which companies he owned, Mr Dalli hesitated to name them, saying he could not remember them all. He said he owned PADA Builders.

He referred to a sentence in one of the stories about the presence of a PADA Builders bobcat on site – also seen in photographs – which he said had been “dumped” outside the farmhouse.

There is an engineer’s certificate, which is public, Mr Dalli said. All other machinery had been sold six or seven years previously, he added.

He also testified on claims made in another story that the Mepa commission had broken the law when dealing with his property.

The issue had been reported during a press conference outside the property by Nationalist Party spokesman Ryan Callus.

Mr Dalli explained that he had obtained a permit for the property in 2003 and by 2008 he converted it to the way it looks today.

In 2011 or 2012, he said, someone had filed a complaint with the planning authority that he had carried out illegal works prompting Mepa to issue an enforcement notice.

Subsequently, he filed an application to sanction the works and the case officer asked him to reduce the footprint of the development to bring it in line with the original permit.

He said the case officer recommended the grant of the permit but the DCC board had unanimously rejected it. An appeal has been filed.

The case is being heard by Magistrate Francesco Depasquale. It will continue in May.

Lawyer Stefan Frendo appeared for Times of Malta, while lawyer Edward Gatt appeared for Mr Dalli.