Sammy Meilaq has renounced his right to be the executor of Dom Mintoff’s final will because he does not feel up to it.
The former dockyard worker and lifelong confidant of Mr Mintoff formally renounced his right on September 18, leaving Judge Philip Sciberras as the sole executor.
“I began making the arrangements (not to serve as executor) immediately after the funeral,” said Mr Meilaq, 63.
The move came two weeks before The Sunday Times last weekend reported that Mr Meilaq and Judge Sciberras were appointed executors of the former Prime Minister’s final will, which he wrote jointly with his late wife, Moira de Vere Bentinck, in 1997.
“I did not feel competent enough for the role and I felt Judge Sciberras has the necessary competence and professionalism, as well as the full confidence of the Mintoffs,” Mr Meilaq said.
Asked why he had accepted the role in the first place, Mr Meilaq recalled the former Prime Minister’s negotiation skills, adding he had accepted “very reluctantly”.
“But this was the man who persuaded Lord Carrington to give Malta £14 million while not allowing him to use us as a military base.
“He was the man who persuaded the world to promote peace and stability in the Mediterranean in Helsinki... I could not say no to him.”
The will, which left Mr Mintoff’s belongings to his two daughters, Anne McKenna and Yana (Joan) Mintoff Bland, was signed in Parliament.
It was written in July 1997, some months before Mr Mintoff’s wife succumbed to illness.
It was also the time when Mr Mintoff began isolating himself from the Labour Party, though his parliamentary showdowns with then Prime Minister Alfred Sant were to start in November. “It was a huge honour for me. It showed enormous respect, which is obviously mutual,” said Mr Meilaq.
But the respect shown to him by the Mintoff couple was “more than I deserved”.
“I am not being humble. This is the reality... I don’t feel I am letting him down because I know he had full trust in Judge Sciberras. And I am forever thankful that he included me... I think it is consistent with his struggle to involve the ordinary man.
“But, ultimately, I don’t think I will be of any help. If anything, I’ll be in the way.”
Although Mr Meilaq was eligible for a fee that would be worked out as a percentage of Mr Mintoff’s vast estate, he is not concerned about losing the money.
“I always worked for Mintoff voluntarily. And he was always generous with me. The money wasn’t even a consideration. I renounced my rights before seeing the will. In fact, I still haven’t seen it.”
Mr Meilaq, the militant former chairman of the Drydocks Council, considered himself to be one of Mr Mintoff’s best friends.
He especially enjoyed their time swimming and gardening. But what drew them so close?
“Politically, we were on the same wavelength. If you divide the Left into a spectrum, we were of the same shade. I did not agree with him on everything but we had identical ideologies.”
Mr Mintoff died on August 20, aged 96, at his Tarxien home and was given a State funeral five days later.