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Matthew Vella
A long awaited inquiry into the death of a man was concluded earlier this week, after MaltaToday probed into the inexplicable three-year wait on the magisterial inquiry on Marco D’Agata’s death.
The family of D’Agata, a father of one who was killed while filming a stunt for a TV drama, were informed this week that Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani Grima had finalised her inquiry, a week before the third anniversary of D’Agata’s death.
The death, which was captured on film, became the subject of an inquiry which was “concluded” two weeks after MaltaToday asked the parliamentary secretary for justice, Carmelo Mifsud Bonnici, on what was holding up Padovani Grima’s inquiry.
The finalised inquiry brings to an end a desperate campaign by the bereaved family of D’Agata after pleading to the Court to expedite its inquiry for the past three years.
D’Agata, 39, was killed in a road accident whilst performing as a stuntman for NET TV’s ‘F’Bahar Wiehed’. He was killed on 22 March, 2003, when an oncoming car hit him after being hurled off the motorcycle he was riding, at the traffic lights outside the Luxol sports grounds. The road leading from Bahar ic-Caghaq had not been closed for the filming of the scene.
The tragic death was caught on camera.
Since then, Padovani Grima has refused to release the contents of the videotape to D’Agata’s heirs, after they asked for a copy.
The scene had been filmed at the traffic lights outside the Luxol grounds in St Andrews, when at around 2.20 pm, D’Agata’s Honda bike nicked the wheel of another stuntman’s bike, who was riding in front of him.
D’Agata was thrown off his bike and killed by an oncoming car, driven by an Irish tourist coming from the direction of Bahar ic-Caghaq, where the road had not been closed for the filming.
Despite capturing the death on film, the magisterial inquiry dragged on for three year, but the family has been desperate to see the inquiry presented to the Attorney General.
In a bid to seek justice, D’Agata’s family wrote twice to the Attorney General in 2004, asking the AG to ensure the inquiry is completed as soon as possible, and arraign whoever might be responsible for the delay in proceedings. The family complained the delay was hampering the heirs in any action for damages they may eventually want to institute.
A subsequent application to the court of Magistrate Jacqueline Padovani Grima to have the videotape released proved unsuccessful.
A total of 1,581 inquiries were registered with the Court of Magistrates in 2005, which sent back 691 of its caseload to the Attorney General for further investigation.
mvella@mediatoday.com.mt |
