Around late August and early September, 2008, a few letters had been written and published both by me as well as others regarding the great amounts of money belonging to heirs and unjustifiably kept at the banks.

All articles published seem to have fallen on deaf ears and were completely ignored or left aside by the government authorities concerned. Why? Was not the government elected to care for the people? Are the owners of these moneys not Maltese with a vote and paying their taxes? Are they not worthy of a government interference to rectify their unjust miserable position?

The budget passed and many problems of various degrees have been solved – why not this problem? We are Maltese, we have a legal vote and pay our taxes as much as those fewer ones (relatives in most cases) due to whose whims the banks are withholding our rightfully and genuinely inherited moneys. Why is the Government not hearing us? I do not believe that the government is siding and supporting the banks who are administering these moneys! This is a great discrimination among members of the same families.

There are numerous families and individuals who have their financial inheritances held in Maltese banks for an unlimited long time just because one or more of the heirs just do not want to sign – in most cases out of spite – maybe he/she/they do not need the money or, better still, he/she /they may have already had their fat share during the lifetime of the person /persons leaving the inheritance. As said in previous letters, I know of a case older than 27 years and there may exist others even older than that.

This sheer and unnecessary cruelty and suffering must be remedied at once with effect, only in my opinion, at least, from January 1945. I urge the Prime Minister as well as the ministers for justice and finance to look personally into the matter and resolve it. Here, I also ask the opposition, especially the leader, as the sufferers are from both sides, to sound their opinion about this serious suffering emanating out of spite.

I take this opportunity to beg everyone suffering from this senseless absurdity to sound his voice and write in any paper he can. This is our legitimate money and no one should hinder us from enjoying it.

Michael Galea

St Julian’s