Updated 3.30pm - Added federation statement

One of the 13 people accused over the 2015 Paqpaqli għall-Istrina car crash said yesterday he had been asked to serve as a court expert in the magisterial inquiry into the tragedy.

Jonathan Tonna expressed his dismay when he contacted by the Times of Malta yesterday at the way the police had treated him and the “unfounded” charges brought against him.

Times of Malta yesterday carried a front-page report on a judicial protest filed by a number of volunteers against President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca claiming compensation for the damage they were suffering or could suffer in the future.

Mr Tonna insisted he never formed any part of the event’s organising committee, had absolutely nothing to do with it and was not even present for it.

“To add insult to injury, soon after the incident, Police Inspector Josric Mifsud called me to act as a court expert in the magisterial inquiry,” he said, adding he refused, both because he did not consider himself to be an expert and also because he knew some of the victims.

Mr Tonna noted that, through his membership of the Island Car Club, he had helped in previous editions of the event by helping in setting up a display of cars from his club. On behalf of his club he had also organised national hill climbs, which had nothing to do with the Paqpaqli event.

However, he insisted that when the tragedy occurred his club had not taken part in the event.

“That year, we didn’t take part because not enough club members had showed interest. So, we had absolutely nothing to do with the event.

“I was never a member of some organising committee, as the police accused me in the charges presented in court,” Mr Tonna said.

He recalled that after the accident, he had been asked to testify before the inquiring magistrate and he declared that although in the past, his club had taken part in the event, it was not the case in 2015.

“I thought that was it”, he said.

“When I found out I was accused together with members of the organising committee, I called Inspector Mifsud to seek a clarification.

I ended up a victim myself. This is a big injustice.

“Inspector Mifsud told me it seems that since I was mentioned in the inquiry report, charges were issued against everyone.”

“I ended up a victim myself. This is a big injustice”, he said, noting the life of his family was disrupted, as they were worried about the pending case.

The volunteers who filed the judicial protest against the President and the board of governors of the Malta Community Chest Fund insisted they were not responsible for the incident and accused Ms Coleiro Preca of leaving them “out in the cold”.

The President and her office face lawsuits claiming damages from some of the 29 victims of the incident.

An inquiry by Magistrate Consuelo Scerri Herrera put the blame on the organising committee and driver Paul Bailey, declaring the President was not responsible for the event.

Malta Motorsport Federation expresses solidarity

Mr Tonna received backing from the Malta Motorsport Federation,  which in a statement issued on Friday said it could not understand why he had been cited.

"He should have not been accused, as was not involved and he has not even attended the event," the federation said.