A court this morning started hearing evidence against the former head of the Security Service, Godfrey Scicluna, who is facing charges of having caused involuntary harm to a 91-year-old pedestrian in a traffic accident last summer.

Raphael Lughermo, from Paola, was hit as Mr Scicluna was reversing his car at about 1pm on June 2 in St Monica Street, in his hometown, suffering fractures and bruises.

He passed away on February 23, from natural causes, on the same day that Mr Scicluna suspended himself after Police Commissioner John Rizzo informed him that criminal charges would be filed in court against him.

The first to give evidence this morning was Mr Lughermo's widow Julia.

She said she had not witnessed the accident, but Mr Scicluna's daughter, who was on the scene, told her that her husband was involved in an incident.

She went to the emergency department and found her husband unconscious. He remained unconscious for five days and left hospital after two weeks.

She said her husband told her he was stepping off the pavement when  he was hit by the car, and rememmbered nothing else.

Police Inspector Jurgen Vella said he went to the scene of the accident  and found that the victim was hit by a VW Passat driven by Godfrey Scicluna. Mr Scicluna had said that he was reversing when he heard a bang and got out to see what happened.

The car belonged to the government.