Evidence of a highly illegal and morally bankrupt practice of desecrating and dividing up old graves at Addolorata cemetery to create space for new graves for sale on the black market has reached this newspaper.

In the wake of allegations of multiple wrongdoings at the Addolorata Cemetery raised in Parliament last week by MP Claudette Buttigieg, fresh information reaching this newspaper from well-informed sources demonstrates the practice of how graves are split up in such a way as to form new and illicit graves that are later illegally sold.

These cleverly constructed graves, this newspaper is informed, are being sold for anywhere between €10,000 and €30,000 to desperate families, many of which have been waiting year upon year for new graves to be made available at the Addolorata cemetery. Many have already paid €2,500 deposits for the new graves promised by both governments, but there is, as yet, no hope in sight.

And, as usual, where there is a market demand, industrious people will always be there to meet the supply. In fact, this newspaper is informed that the practice of splitting up old graves is allegedly widespread at the cemetery and this particular instance serves as a case in point.  It also shows how some people, in this case allegedly a senior health inspector, are making a pretty penny out of converting old graves that are no longer visited into two or more graves, which are then sold on the black market.

How it is done

In these photos made available to The Malta Independent on Sunday, it can be seen how the grave of a priest, obviously childless, who passed away in 1933 (number 9), has been split up to create two new, smaller graves (numbers 10 and 10a). A small passageway was also used to create the new graves.

As can be seen in these photographs, part of the right-hand side (when looking at the photograph) of grave 9 was stolen to create part of grave 10, while part of grave 10 as well as grave 10a were created by using up a strip of land that had once served as a passageway, as can be seen by the open space located behind grave 10a.

The fact that grave 9 had once been significantly larger is amply demonstrated by inspecting the pillars adorning the left-hand side of the grave as well as the number of stones comprising the front of the grave.

The grave’s original symmetry has been ruined. When one inspects the left side of the grave, the original line of three stone pillars and a strip of soil can be seen. These have been removed from the right side of the grave in order to make way for part of grave 10. 

Also, when counting the number of stones comprising the front of the grave, it can be clearly seen that on the left-hand side of the grave, which has been left intact, there are four rows, the central pillar, and then the grave. Not so on the right side, which has been left with only two rows of stones, no strip of soil and no row of pillars.

A bench has also been placed right in front of grave 10a, which our source claims is something of a rarity, and this newspaper is informed that this particular grave belongs to one of the people behind the Addolorata racket.

This, our sources allege, is just one of several examples of illegal grave-selling taking place at Addolorata.

The allegations

Asked to comment on this particular grave and whether it formed part of the information she had handed over to Health Minister Konrad Mizzi, Dr Buttigieg would not be drawn into adding to what she had revealed in her parliamentary adjournment speech.

In her speech, Dr Buttigieg said there were a number of “shocking” practices happening at Addolorata cemetery. She alleged that a senior health inspector had been digging and selling graves himself. She said he had been stopped a few months ago but no disciplinary action was taken against him.

She also spoke of a racket that saw people being charged as much as €185 for graves to be cleaned at Addolorata and other cemeteries such as in Rabat. When people refused to cough up, she said, the coffins were simply being stacked on top of other older coffins that should have been removed.

Dr Buttigieg said she had even learned that one old tomb had been dismantled and parts of it had been sold.

All this, she said, was happening with the full knowledge of the director, who failed to take action.

Inquiry appointed, workers suspended

On 15 October, the day after her adjournment speech, the Health Ministry appointed retired Judge Alberto Magri to lead an inquiry into Dr Buttigieg’s allegations of widespread illegal activities at the Addolorata Cemetery.

Dr Buttigieg has since given all the details she has to the police and to Health and Energy Minister Konrad Mizzi, who took immediate action with the launching of the inquiry and the suspension of an Environmental Health Practitioner who was allegedly involved in these abuses. This individual had worked at the cemetery for 11 years before he was transferred elsewhere in April. The director responsible, who allegedly knew of the abuse but did not take action, was also suspended pending the results of the inquiry.