Fr Charles Fenech this morning testified in court after he failed to turn up when summoned last week to give evidence in a compensation case by victims of clerical sex abuse.
Laurence Grech and Philip Cauchi are calling on the Constitutional Court to stop Mr Justice Joseph Micallef from presiding over the civil case for compensation because he is involved in the institution that abused them.
The victims are questioning Mr Justice Micallef’s impartiality given that he is president of Radju Marija, a religious radio station run by the Dominican Order.
Mr Justice Mark Chetcuti had fined the Dominican priest, the founder of Radju Marija, €150 for contempt of court and ordered that he be escorted under arrest for the next sitting.
This morning, Fr Fenech said the aim of the radio station was to convey the message of the Catholic Church, and it did not have any political or marketing content.
The radio was managed by directors, who were lay people. The president, who until last October (when Fr Fenech was still working with the radio) was Mr Justice Joseph R Micallef, handled administrative work.
Fr Fenech said he took care of the content of the radio programmes, and the administration had no say over who was invited for the programmes.
Fr Fenech said that Radju Marija was not the radio of the Church, and the Church had its own radio.
During cross examination, Fr Fenech said Radju Marija was not linked to the Curia either and that Mr Justice R Micallef never received any money for his role within the radio. The Curia had no officials within the radio and did not donate funds. The same applied for the MSSP.
The court heard how Fr Fenech had not turned up in court because of a misunderstanding with his lawyer Dr Franco Galea.
The court revoked the fine imposed and the case has been deferred to October 21.
Fr Fenech is separately facing charges of sex abuse following allegations made by a woman.
The woman is claiming Fr Fenech sexually abused her during the course of a relationship spanning a number of years. She alleges that the abuse started while she was being treated at Mount Carmel Hospital. Fr Fenech is denying the claims.