For the last three Saturdays (1, 8 and 15 December) The Malta Independent has been publishing a three-part article entitled “Sport and Education: The Value of Winning”. It was signed by Pippo Psaila.

Strangely enough, this article turns out to be a word-for-word reproduction of an article called “Sport, Education, and the Meaning of Victory” which appeared in the website of the 20th World Congress of Philosophy, where it was shown as being authored by Heather L. Reid.

Your readers may verify this by visiting the website http://www.bu.edu/wcp/Papers/Spor/SporReid.htm#top. The only differences were that certain references that made it clear that Ms Reid was referring to the situation of sport in the USA were deleted in Mr Psaila’s “version”.

I think that your readers have a right to ask certain questions: Who is the real author of this article, Mr Psaila or Ms Reid?

If, as seems highly probable, it was Ms Reid, did Mr Psaila obtain permission before reproducing it word-for-word?

Even if this permission was granted, was it ethical for Mr Psaila to publish the article under his own name and only refer to Ms Reid obscurely and briefly in the bibliography?

Finally, since Mr Pippo Psaila is a general election candidate for the Nationalist Party, is this standard of behaviour ethically acceptable?

Victor Laiviera

Naxxar