With all due respect, I think Judge Giovanni Bonello doth protest too much (TMIS, 4 March).

Considering the fact that his late father is directly involved, Judge Bonello’s judgement can be taken exception to in a court of law.

However, apart from this, surely he goes over the top when he accuses the British authorities of a most grievous crime, a crime against humanity, in deporting 42 British subjects (and Maltese nationals) considered to have strong Fascist leanings, to a safe place outside this small island, at a time of war with Fascist Italy when the imminent invasion of Malta was threatened.

What is more, although the Maltese Law Courts then ruled that this action was ultra vires, the Maltese people at the time accepted the decision to deport without any significant protest or agitation.

Those were very exceptional times when Britain was fighting with its back to the wall against the evil forces of Fascism perpetrating the most terrible crimes against humanity on a massive scale.

It is true the deportees were deprived of their freedom and subjected to the risk of contracting tropical diseases but that was the price of war taken on by Fascist Italy when, without provocation, it went to war against Britain and Malta in the hope of quickly cashing in on the victories of the Nazi war machine on the Western Front.

Nor does the argument that the deportees were wholly innocent lambs devoid of political loyalties, and only dedicated to Dante and Italian culture hold much water. For half a decade Fascist Italy was slowly and surely pushing its political influence in these islands through its consulate’s office aided and abetted by its Maltese intermediaries, who though few in number occupied important public offices. These were, after due surveillance, properly regarded as security risks. Evidence of this is readily available in the Diaries quoted by Judge Bonello.

If, as he states, Dr Giovanni Bonello is seeking justice and not monuments, he should be writing to the British press and pursuing his case in the International Courts of Justice in The Hague.

As a Maltese national and a nobody who lived and suffered like the rest of us through those dark times I shall certainly not be supporting him, mindful that my patriotism and my love of justice is no less than his.

J. A. Muscat

TA’ XBIEX