Magistrate Aaron Bugeja, presiding over the controversial Paqpaqli ghall-Istrina case, in which 13 individuals have been accused of varying negligence charges in criminal court, said that his aim is for the compilation of evidence to be concluded by June.

There have been a number of delays in often confusing proceedings due to the high number of those accused and their army of lawyers. This morning’s hearing centred around arguments between the parte civile lawyers representing the injured parties from the incidents, and the defendants’ lawyers regarding the magisterial inquiry report and a number of alleged shortcomings.

Magistrate Bugeja imposed seven hearings between April and June in order for all testimony to be heard. This was met with some opposition in the light of the large number of people involved and everybody’s differing schedules.

The members of the Paqpaqli Ghall-Istrina organising committee, including TV presenter Tonio Darmanin as well as British millionaire Paul Bailey, were in court today over a crash at the December 2015 event that left 28 people injured. Mr Bailey's Porsche 918 clipped the grass and spun out of control, smashing into inadequate plastic barriers and into the watching crowd. The event, then in its tenth edition, was organised by the Office of the President and was aimed to raise funds for the Malta Community Chest Fund. It will not be held this year.

All those accused said they were not guilty on all charges. All are charged with, through unskillfulness, carelessness, imprudence or non-observance of regulations, involuntarily causing injuries of a grievous nature on various persons and having involuntarily caused damages on various vehicles.

With regards the magisterial inquiry, the parte civile argued about shortcomings in the proces verbal – referring to the gathering of evidence throughout the magisterial inquiry. The courts are expected to decide in the coming days whether parts of the inquiry can be declared admissible or not.

The defendants, aside from Mr Bailey and Mr Darmanin, are Angelo Mario Mannara - 51 from Birzebbugia, Christopher Sultana - 41 from Lija, David Bugeja - 38 from San Gwann, Brian Gatt - 44 from Naxxar, Jonathan Tonna - 40 from Naxxar, Kevin Perry - 44 from Qormi , Melvin Haber - 44 from Naxxar, Ian Keith Cilia Pisani - 38 from Mgarr, Jonathan Bruno - 41 from Mosta, Tonio Cini - 47 from Naxxar and Agostino De Giorgio - 52 from Sliema.

Police Inspectors Josric Mifsud, Silvio Magro and Hubert Cini are prosecuting. Magistrate Aaron Bugeja presiding.