I refer to James Tyrell’s letter entitled “Questionable accounts” (TMIS, 27 February) in which he makes a number of gratuitous and unfounded allegations against the good name of Din l-Art Helwa and its financial propriety. While he is fully entitled to his own personal opinions about our organisation, he is most misleading in his attack on the financial management of Din l-Art Helwa and the way we use our very hard-earned funds, while his accusations about our officials are false and defamatory.

Din l-Art Helwa’s financial statements and accounts are audited and approved by external auditors, Vincent Curmi & Associates, each year. These are then published, approved by our members at our annual general meeting and subsequently posted on our website where they can be read and studied by everybody as well as circulated through our Vigilo publication. Our work depends entirely on the generosity of our sponsors and members and therefore it is paramount that all funds are accounted for with meticulous transparency.

To this end, the high regard that Din l-Art Helwa has earned itself over the last 45 years is proved by the continued support for our work with the result that numerous sites of historic and cultural importance have been saved since Din l-Art Helwa’s foundation. It is on that score that our organisation should be judged, not on Mr Tyrell’s misreading of our accounts.

There is so much work to be done to preserve our environment and cultural heritage. We would invite Mr Tyrell to use his time and energy to the same ends as ourselves, and to support, not denigrate, voluntary heritage organisations like ours in using our limited resources positively, as we have done over almost five decades, so we may each continue to do our best for Malta.

The many national monuments that have been saved by Din l-Art Helwa make their own proud statement about the integrity, transparency and cost-effectiveness of our organisation. Any other interpretation is libellous and, unless a public retraction is forthcoming from him, Din l-Art Helwa will be taking appropriate legal action to correct the very damaging statement Mr Tyrell has chosen to make.

Din l-Art Helwa invites the editor and his team of investigative journalists to study our accounts together with our accountants and officials and reach their own conclusions.

Simone Mizzi,

Executive President,

‘Din l-Art Helwa’