A relative of a man who resides in Australia yesterday filed a judicial protest in court calling on the local authorities to grant him permission to take 11 antique horse-drawn carriages, built between 1947 and 1952 and which were used during funerals, to Australia.

Mary Mifsud filed the judicial protest on behalf of Gaetano Mifsud who lives in Australia. She claimed that several years ago, in the 1980s, Mr Mifsud had donated three of a set of seven horse-drawn carriages to the then Museums Department.

Now, she claimed, the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage is not allowing Mr Mifsud to take back the horse-drawn carriages, which are more than 60 years old. Moreover, it is not granting Mr Mifsud permission to take them to Australia and is expecting him to pay tax.

She explained that in September 1992, he had asked for permission to export six gold horse-drawn hearses, two white baby horse-drawn hearses and three carriages known as coaches.

In November 2004, the Superintendent of Cultural Heritage gave his go-ahead for the exportation of two hearses and two carriages and these were in fact exported. However, no permission was granted for him to export three other horse-drawn hearses and two baby horse-drawn hearses which would complete the set when considering those which have already been exported.

She said that a letter sent to the Superintendence of Cultural Heritage and a judicial letter filed in court in April remained unanswered. In the judicial letter, Ms Mifsud had claimed that these horse-drawn carriages have been abandoned and are not even exposed to the public but in the protest filed yesterday, this was not mentioned.

She therefore called on the court to order the authorities to grant the permission and allow the exportation.

Dr Owen Bonnici signed the writ.