Criminal Complaint Filed against Fr Mark Montebello: Accused of Attempted Bribery

By Rachel Attard
Malta Independent
November 10, 2014

http://www.independent.com.mt/articles/2014-11-10/local-news/Criminal-complaint-filed-against-Fr-Mark-Montebello-accused-of-attempted-bribery-6736125349


A criminal complaint was filed this morning against Dominican priest Fr Mark Montebello, the accusation being that he tried to bribe a witness in a case involving alleged sexual abuse by Fr Charles Fenech.

The criminal complaint was filed at the Birkirkara police station by Edgar Bonnici Cachia, who is claiming that Fr Mark phoned him on 1 April 2014 at 10.18pm and offered him a six-figure sum for the woman who is alleging that Fr Fenech sexually abused her to withdraw her allegations.

Mr Bonnici Cachia said that his answer was that "we are not for sale". It is not true, as Fr Mark is saying in The Times, that it was Mr Bonnici Cachia who called. "I did not even have Fr Mark's number," he told The Malta Independent.

This newsroom is also informed by a number of sources that Fr Mark knew about this case long before it surfaced in the media, so much so that 10 years ago he had taken the alleged victim to a particular media house for her to tell the story involving Fr Fenech.

Fr Mark has said that he did not act as an intermediary in the Fr Fenech case.

Fr Charles Fenech is charged with sexually abusing a number of women, with his case due to be heard on 17 December. He has so far not turned up for three sittings. He has since been removed from the post of Kerygma Movement director and stopped from administering Holy Sacraments.

Bishop Charles Scicluna yesterday told The Malta Independent that he deplored any efforts that are made to offer money in exchange of silence from alleged victims of sexual abuse by priests. Last week The Malta Independent had also tried to interview the Dominican Order's Prior Fr Frans Micallef on the case involving Fr Fenech but our request for an interview was turned down.

On Sunday an email was sent to Fr Micallef regarding the development involving Fr Montebello, but no reply has been received as yet.