A few years ago, the Times of Malta had published a story about the expulsion, in the 1930s, of the Italian consul and his two beautiful ‘daughters’ on suspicion of espionage.

At the time, the British authorities were aware of correspondence between Benito Mussolini’s Fascist government and Maltese pro-Italian sympathisers. When war broke out, the question of internees came up. Obviously, some people were rounded up unjustly, victims of malicious and opportunistic motives. Not an easy matter for the authorities.

When the Allies invaded Italy, a lot of documents and letters were found, showing the extent of collaboration between Maltese pro-Italians and the Fascists. Lists were provided of people who could be trusted to support Fascist occupation, who could not, who should be removed from office, etc.

Two Maltese army officers had access to these documents. When they learned that the British authorities intended to charge some of the collaborators with treason, one of these officers, fearing the effect this would have on a tight-knit Maltese society, warned George Borg Olivier who, in turn, appealed to the Governor and persuaded him to have these charges set aside and to have all documents archived under the Official Secrets Act for 100 years.

How do I know all this? The officer who warned Borg Olivier was my father who, disgusted when he read that there was a suggestion that apologies should be made for the internments and a monument to the internees be raised, exclaimed: “Those vile traitors! You should see what they wrote about their own friends and colleagues! Some of them would probably have ended up in concentration camps.”

But, ever discreet, he mentioned no names.

So, all you journalists and historians, make a note of the date 2045 when these documents will be declassified and become available for public inspection.