Former Marsaxlokk parish priest Luke Seguna told a bank that two cheques for €10,000, deposited in his personal account, were repayments for cash he had handed out to an elderly parishioner to distribute to entities in need. HSBC bank officials had called the priest to ask about two APS cheques which had been deposited into his personal account, triggering further investigation into other transactions. Details about that bank-client correspondence were later requested by police who then charged the priest with misappropriating €500,000 given to him by some 150 parishioners over a 10-year span. Prosecutors claim those funds were intended for the Church. Seguna denies all claims of misappropriation and money laundering, arguing the donations were given to him personally. Many of his former parishioners have testified about their donations to him and the parish, insisting they did not consider themselves victims. The prosecution questions how Seguna could deposit thousands of euros in various bank accounts and own a collection of five motorbikes and two cars on a clergyman’s salary. The court has also heard about €148,000 that went to payment processing companies linked to three...
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