Alleged blackmailers Annabel and Greg Digance want SA ALP leader Peter Malinauskas and state secretary Reggie Martin cross-examined prior to any trial

Two of the most senior figures in the state’s Labor Party must be cross-examined in a former MP and her husband’s blackmail case, a court has heard.

Two state Labor heavyweights must take the witness stand and give evidence before a former MP and her husband are tried on blackmail allegations, a court has heard.

On Tuesday, Annabel and Greg Digance said Opposition Leader Peter Malinauskas and ALP state secretary Reggie Martin should be cross-examined “in the interests of justice”.

The couple’s lawyers also repeated their suggestion the case, in the Adelaide Magistrates Court, should be dropped – prosecutors, however, said they had no intention of doing so.

They also said they would fight all attempts to have Mr Malinauskas or Mr Martin called to give evidence anywhere other than during a District Court trial.

Greg, left, and Annabel Digance, right, outside court. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe.

Ms Digance, 63, and her husband, 60, were arrested in April – one month after she publicly claimed there were “many, many examples” of misuse of power within the Labor Party.

Police alleged they made baseless threats and false accusations about Mr Malinauskas to politically wound him before the 2021 election and secure Ms Digance’s return to politics.

The couple, however, says the case is a “malicious prosecution” and “collateral abuse of process” orchestrated by Mr Malinauskas.

Opposition leader Peter Malinauskas. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Naomi Jellicoe.

On Tuesday, Robert Cameron, for Ms Digance, again sought to outline his client’s reasons for asserting the case was malicious.

“If this prosecution is to continue, various witnesses including the current Opposition Leader and the state secretary of the ALP will need to be called for cross-examination,” he said.

“It’s very simple to explain, to the court, why we submit there is no case to answer … it might be of assistance to understand why that is so.”

The state’s chief magistrate, Judge Mary-Louise Hribal, told him there was “no need” to continue, as she had already read all documents filed in the matter.

She said the filing of those documents meant, under state law, prosecutors had 14 days to respond and all submissions should wait until they had done so.

Prosecutors told the court they would be filing a response but had already determined they would proceed with the case as charged.

They said they were opposed to Mr Malinauskas or Mr Martin being called but would “give consideration” to seeking additional statements from them.

Judge Hribal adjourned the case to a further hearing in two weeks’ time, when a determination will be made as to whether Mr Malinauskas and Mr Martin will be cross-examined.