Can we please bear in mind that Bonnici Cachia himself has a seriously bad criminal record?
The police are prosecuting that Dominican friar who has been in the news lately, Charles Fenech, on the basis of a slander complaint filed against him by one Edgar Bonnici Cachia.
The interesting thing is that the press does not see fit to mention the very salient fact that Bonnici Cachia is not the most savoury of individuals himself, and that his motives might well be suspect.
While Charles Fenech faces proceedings for taking advantage of the vulnerable, Edgar Bonnici Cachia has an actual conviction for abuse of the vulnerable in his care (an old lady, in his case, who trusted him) and has served a prison term for just that, leaving jail not so long ago.
I had uploaded the Appeals Court judgement, which confirmed his prison term, on this website some days ago.
And beyond that, in the 1980s, Bonnici Cachia had been jailed in Egypt along with three co-conspirators, one Maltese and two British, for taking part in a plot to kill a former Libyan prime minister who then lived in Egypt because Muammar Gaddafi had a price on his head. The plot did not succeed because the Egyptian secret service rumbled it. The British conspirators were deported to Britain on release from the Egyptian jail, and were met off the plane by British police who took them into custody. The Maltese conspirators – Edgar Bonnici Cachia included – were deported to Malta but did not go to jail because Muammar Gaddafi was Mintoff’s friend, Mintoff was prime minister, and Bonnici Cachia himself had been a Labour Party candidate in the 1981 general election.
When I wrote about all this a couple of years ago, Bonnici Cachia actually had the gall to file a complaint with the police against me too, despite all this being documented fact, and I am currently facing criminal defamation proceedings at his request, for reproducing the pure, unadulterated facts that were widely reported by the international press and wire services at the time.
This man is a truly suspicious character – do not aid and abet him by working to his agenda. I have no doubt that Charles Fenech really did fool around with that woman. But equally, I have no doubt that he himself is the victim of a very nasty character with a seriously bad criminal record, who is out to get what he can from maximising the situation. I imagine he wouldn’t be averse to a spot of blackmail, either, and it certainly looks as though that’s the way things are going or have gone already.
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http://www.maltatoday.com.mt/news/court_and_police/46353/fresh_allegations_against_fr_charles_scicluna#.VGzJZGchNCz
Is this Father Charles Scicluna His Lordship the auxiliary bishop?
[Daphne – That’s clearly a mistake in Malta Today’s file title. It should be Charles Fenech and not Charles Scicluna.]
Mgr Charles Scicluna is at the moment locum tenens. He has been appointed to administer the diocese till another one has been appointed.
I was obviously taking a dig at Malta Today.
[Daphne – You’re learning! I’d got used to you taking everything literally, so sorry about that.]
How come Aaron Farrugia the Labour elve is a visiting lecturer when he only graduated yesterday as LLD graduand. He also sits on a board and is a CEO of some company. Or are we really led by pompous windbags?
What is he teaching?
How not to get lost in airports, using a famous book ” A fools guide on How to find your way in an airport”
Nepotism 101
Is Bonnici Cachia a lawyer?
[Daphne – What sort of question is that? Even if he were a lawyer, which he wasn’t, he would have lost his warrant by now on account of time spent in prison.]
So if he is not a lawyer, how is he “representing” the “victim”?
[Daphne – You see, that is exactly what I mean about your two-edged comments. You do not have to be a lawyer to represent somebody, except in law suits. I, however, do not need to be told that you are a lawyer yourself – one of those typically Maltese ones who are always intent on catching others out, even when those others are plainly more intelligent than they are.]
I think you are trying to catch me out! :)
I am not a lawyer.
Which is why I asked the question.
So basically, anybody can represent anybody in Court?
[Daphne – Do please go away.]
If my memory serves me right, Bonnici Cachia is representing the “victim” in the preparatory stages of a law suit … isn’t he?
[Daphne – I repeat: even if he were a lawyer by qualification he would not be able to do that because he would have lost his warrant on the basis of having spent a minimum of two years in prison. There is no such thing as the preparatory stages of a law suit unless you are planning a major corporate suit involving millions and sheaves of evidence. Besides which, this is not a civil suit but a criminal prosecution. The victim does not require a lawyer – the defendant does. I do not wish to seem rude, but presumably you have both the intellectual and physical capacity to Google the background to this case yourself, instead of sitting here seeking to annoy me deliberately with stupid questions.]
nice one!
Unfortunately various press reports have described Mr Bonnici Cachia as the victim’s “lawyer”. This is also the perception many have.
As a rule lawyers represent their clients, but an attorney or other representative can appear in court if this is approved by the court for persons abroad or who for specific reasons are not able or can’t be present in court.
Now do you know what this defamation suit is all about? It’s interesting we also know about the defamation suit concerning yourself (Daphne). These two suits therefore may be similar in subject.
[Daphne – Why would they be similar in subject, David. I have already told you why he reported me to the police: for telling my readers about his implication (fact) in an assassination attempt (fact) on a Libyan opponent of Muammar Gaddafi in Egypt (fact) where he was caught and jailed (fact) and then deported (fact). This is clearly nothing to do with Charles Fenech or his case.]
Bonnici Cachia used to have connections at Radju Marija which Charles Fenech was directing.
Radju Maria is an international organisation which supports these radio stations world wide.
This Bonnici Cachia was ousted from the station for reasons known enough to him. He is blaming Fenech for this, and having found a chink in Fenech’s armour, he took the woman (not some under aged girl) under his wing to exact revenge on Fenech. No doubt the truth will surface.
Please tell us more about this Edgar.The story is becoming more interesting and as I told you I learn about what is going on from your blog.I spend hours reading your blog and the comments.
[Daphne – http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2014/11/man-helping-woman-in-priest-case-jailed-and-deported-from-egypt-in-1985-in-alleged-libyan-murder-plot/
http://daphnecaruanagalizia.com/2014/11/man-helping-woman-in-priest-abuse-case-has-criminal-conviction-for-exploiting-and-defrauding-a-vulnerable-woman/
Both are a dung heap.
I tend to be of the same opinion, but I’ll just wait for the evidence to be heard in court and then make my own conclusions.
Thanks for the explanation, Daphne. I thought that both you and Father Fenech may have been accused of defaming Bonnici Cachia on account of the criminal case/judgment against the latter.
You’re simply great Daphne…one of the best, if not the best journalist on the Maltese Islands.