Black Monday and other violent events (1)

In his letter Not A Minister During Black Monday Period (October 23) Lino Spiteri claims that I asserted he was a Cabinet minister when the Black Monday events happened in 1979. I did no such thing. I wrote: "It was a Labour government of which he was a minister that allowed these thugs to operate how, when and where they wanted". No mention of Black Monday there.

I pointed out in my letter that Black Monday was no isolated occurrence. However, Mr Spiteri rightly wants to wash his hands of the Black Monday violence. But then he tells readers that he entered politics again in 1981. What are we to make of all this? A few months after Black Monday Mr Spiteri became a Labour candidate in the 1981 electionregardless of the "reprehensible" nature of the Black Monday events. And he served then as a minister when even worse acts of violence occurred especially the death of Nardu Debono at the police headquarters and the frame-up of Peter Paul Busuttil for a murder he never committed.

Then he reminded readers that "some time ago I alleged that the government had commissioned (that is, paid) me to head the committee which reviewed special education" and concluded that I "never bothered to correct this unfounded statement, much less apologise for it". These are the facts: The article in question appeared in The Times on July 13. Three days later I wrote an article to The Times pointing out among other things that I never even thought about payment for Mr Spiteri's work. In any case, I always think of "being commissioned" as a voluntary activity. (Priests are commissioned when they opt to go to the missions.) However, for one reason or other the editor did not publish my article. A few days later I sent a reminder to the editor quoting "right to reply" as a very experienced journalist advised me to do and I was puzzled why my explanation was never printed. In that same article I gave proof how Nationalist supporters were being discriminated against by Labour civil servants.

Perhaps the editor would be kind enough to explain to Mr Spiteri why my reply to him was never printed.

Editorial note: Our computer records do not indicate that The Times ever received the messages mentioned by Mr Felice Pace. That notwithstanding, any inconvenience caused is regretted.