In reference to Mr Joe Portelli’s letter Amendments to bank procedures (TMID, 29 August), I totally agree with him and encourage and ask others affected by this unjust situation to write and air their grievances as early as possible. This is a very serious and cruel situation which, up to now, no one, not even the government, seem to have realised and tackled this – it had to be Mr Joe Portelli of Victoria to set the ball running.

Exactly as Mr Portelli said, 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 this is done either out of spite, or maybe because the heir does not need the money or better still because the heir might have had access to a generous share during the life-time of the person/persons leaving the inheritance. I am aware of cases as old as 27 years – maybe there are even much older than that as well.

This is an absurd and unnecessary cruelty and suffering. It should be remedied at once with effect from, in my opinion, as far back as, at least, January 1945. I urge the Prime Minister and Finance Minister to look personally and urgently into this grave and serious matter at once to alleviate those families and individuals suffering at the whims of someone else.

Michael Galea

St Julian’s