Most rushed to his defence, with one woman claiming that the whole case is a “frame-up”, with some even pointing their finger at the Archdiocese of Malta.

However, as evidence and allegations continue to emerge in court and in the news, it would appear that parochial and Catholic loyalty could be playing a significant factor.

Serious questions are certainly swirling around Seguna, who was known to live an active social life, while his purchase of several motorcycles has also raised eyebrows.

Seguna is facing allegations of misappropriating around €500,000 by 150 parishioners over a decade, €148,000 of which was allegedly spent on pornographic websites amid the priest’s “sexual crisis”. 

He has denied all charges and those who know him insist that the actual truth is yet to come out, describing him as a charitable person who helped his community and was devoted to his pastoral work.

“Fr Luke is a magnificent human being,” Pierre Baldacchino told Lovin Malta. 

“[Seguna] managed to lift up the parish, and without putting any kind of sour taste on the work done by his predecessors, managed to unite the community, and bring people that have been absent from the church for a very long time.” 

“He re-launched occasions which have been for long stopped, especially around the feast. Fr Luke also helped, very discreetly numerous people, with advice and also financial help, in moments where they struggled, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Baldacchino was not alone, with scores of people praising his work done in the community over the years. 

“Although I don’t consider myself a devotee, his charisma and character drew me and my family closer to the church,” Neal Debono said. 

“Fr Luke once told us how he worked with the resources of Marsaxlokk and Nigret since he had no other help. He has a great dedication to his pastoral work – and when we tried to go to one of his Easter Sunday masses, we had to go somewhere else as it was full of people. What does that tell you?” councillor Sean Apap Meli, who was wed by Seguna, added.

And while most of the people who spoke to Lovin Malta wanted to wait for more court proceedings before commenting on the case, they were clear that the verdict would not change their opinion of it. 

“Whatever good he did is not going to change with these accusations. If someone helps 300 people from starvation and assists them in going on the right path, is not hindered by such accusations. Whilst I believe that such accusations will stay with him for his entire life, so will the good deeds he did,” Baldacchino said.

“I’ll let the institutions work, but I can never forget what a good man does in his life,” Debono added.

Seguna has claimed that he received the funds personally and they were not meant for the church.

Many who spoke to Lovin Malta admitted they were among the donors, revealing that cheques were regularly written in Seguna’s name rather than the church or archdiocese itself. 

“It just seemed easier to do. But it never bothered me, I always felt and still feel that a lot of the money was used for good causes for the community,” one man told Lovin Malta.

Others, particularly those who were wed by Seguna, insisted that their donations were expressly meant for the priest himself. 

“Fr Luke did not even ask for donations at our engagement or marriage. We only gave him as we really appreciated what he did for us. We decided to give him something specifically for him, to use it as he wishes either to help others or for himself. We had no reason to doubt him.,” Sean Apap Meli said.

Meanwhile, Baldacchino, for example, sometimes donated directly to Seguna while when he wanted to donate to the parish itself, he did so during collections or depositories in church.

What has raised some eyebrows is Seguna depositing roughly €200,000 across 10 different accounts at local banks.

However, one person said that they could not understand why Seguna would use official channels to commit money laundering, insisting that high-profile cases involving murky offshore structures have otherwise been ignored by authorities.

One account, called ‘masses’, had around €80,000 in it, with around €107,000 withdrawn over six years.

Seguna insisted that those were personal funds through donations. Out of the figure withdrawn, €52,000 were cash deposits, €9,000 were spent at supermarkets and some €7,000 were spent on entertainment. 

Still, many of those who spoke to Lovin Malta insisted that Seguna would regularly put the money back into the parish.

More sensationally, sources have even suggested that Seguna is a scapegoat in a conspiracy within the Curia to present financial investigators as a sacrificial lamb while ignoring other glaring issues. 

Seguna has been charged with misappropriating funds meant for the Archdiocese. And sources claim that Seguna was more prioritised with ensuring that the donations were given to the Marsaxlokk parish. 

There are allegations that Seguna would receive a donation, keep half for himself to be used for the parish and send the other half to the Curia. 

However, many insisted that this is prevalent across Malta’s parishes, raising major questions as to why Seguna was targeted rather than the church as a whole, particularly when the church and the archbishop have faced controversy over an ancient foundation seeking to evict countless residents. 

What’s clear is that the case is not ending here, and while we’re certain to hear more details in the weeks to come, it appears that Seguna has loyal supporters out there, who will not leave him despite the claims against him.

Of course, Maltese parishioners are always going to defend a priest, particularly one who was performing good duties for the community.

However, the blind defence does continue to play into the “u iva mhux xorta” attitude that has plagued the country.

Seguna certainly has a lot of explaining to do.

What do you think of the case?