Tonio Fenech 'star witness' in 2011 traffic accident

Nationalist MP Tonio Fenech has just presented himself as the star witness in a 2011 traffic accident which claimed the life of Alfred Zahra, 64.

Teacher Dorianne Camilleri, 34, is facing a five-year prison sentence over the involuntary killing of Zahra and for grievously injuring his elderly sister.

The decision has sparked public uproar, with many insisting that the accident was in no way Camilleri’s fault. With its hands tied, the court could only hand down a custodial sentence as a penalty. Justice Minister Owen Bonnici has since moved an amendment to the Criminal Code, which would leave the sentence at the discretion of the magistrate.

Fenech has now come forward, having realised that an accident he witnessed six years ago was the same case which was being debated today. It was Camilleri’s own appeal on Xarabank that jogged his memory, prompting him to contact host Peppi Azzopardi to see how he could help.

The MP has also said that he could not understand how the police or the inquiring magistrate never contacted him, having remained with the injured elderly siblings until the arrival of the ambulance.

Dorianne Camilleri has been jailed for five years

“The accident happened before my eyes and, even though I’m no traffic expert, there’s no way she could have seen them,” Fenech told Xarabank.

Fenech, who at the time was a minister, was sitting in the passenger seat of his chauffeur-driven car when he noticed that a white van had slowed down to switch lanes and turn into a side street. Camilleri, who was behind the van, continued driving forward and it was at that moment that the accident occurred.

“Everything happened in a split second… I remember shouting to my driver ‘Madonna, Madonna, Madonna’ and boom, she had hit them… Frankly I doubt how she could have seen them as the van was obstructing her view.”

Fenech went on to comment that Camilleri had definitely not been over speeding and the couple should have never crossed the road from there.

“But I still remember seeing the impact. I immediately ordered my driver to stop the car and I rushed to their aide. I don’t remember the driver [Camilleri] but I remember the man and the woman on the ground. He was worse off. I started talking to them and made sure that they remained conscious until the arrival of the ambulance.”

Fenech admitted that he was now surprised that no one had asked for his version of events, and only learnt of the magisterial inquiry when the court case had already been decided.