Further to my letter in your publication dated 3rd April, I still feel most annoyed and in a grave state of mental stress over the now widely publicized seizure of my “harmless pistol”. On 4th April I received from the ‘weapons office’ at the Police General Headquarters in Floriana stamped with that date and official identification, Licence/receipt covering 2016. However, as yet, the firearm has not been consigned to me from the St Julian’s Police Station, without any justified explanation whatever, as when it had been confiscated from my residence, where I have been existing in serious physical condition and semi-blindness since 2009, on 1st January 2016.
From one of my several scrapbooks I compiled personally – my Investigative Journalistic hobby – covering a multitude of current subjects and ‘historic events’, I always recall my favourite Police Commissioner Michael Cassar, who, on being promoted, well-deservedly, following a major reshuffle of senior officers, had been quoted in the press as saying, “My motto is honesty” adding later, “A policeman… 25 hours a day”. A truly admirable mark of leadership. Published in another well-read newspaper on 2 September 2015 was the shocking news of a “mass exodus of top police officers”. Also in another popular publication, Malta Business News, appeared, “Mind you, I do anything to please anyone – I do because it is the right thing to do”. Credit to Commissioner Michael Cassar, among several others correctly citing his fine qualities!
Again and prominently published in the Times of Malta of Friday 8th April, President Marie-Louise Coleiro Preca most nobly remarked in the popular “Talking Point” – “United nation - Strong nation” and “We cannot allow our democracy to be diluted”.
At my advanced age, I just cannot give in to the individual/s who might be conniving behind my back anent the most unfair confiscation of my “harmless” firearm, particularly at this point when I am now in possession of an official licence/receipt covering payment for 2016 from General Police Headquarters, in which the pistol is officially described, “single barrel hammerless semi auto automatic open”.
Having, under extreme confidentiality, even collaborated with the Maltese government during the seventies/eighties in matters concerning “Tampering” of secret despatches during transmission and for which I had been trained overseas, I still hold a Malta Police Security Services ID card.
John Louis Curmi
Swieqi