A Maltese priest is questioning whether an anonymous letter with an emblazoned swastika could be linked to the murder of a fellow Polish missionary in a gruesome act which has shocked Tunisia.

It was still unclear whether extremists were behind the killing of Fr Marek Rybinski or whether the 34-year old missionary was the victim of a botched robbery, Fr Mario Mulè Stagno told The Sunday Times yesterday.

Fr Rybinski was found dead on Friday in the garage of a Maltese mission school in the Manouba region, just six kilometres from Tunis. He had been missing for 24 hours before he was found in a store with his throat slit and a blow to the head.

“We’re shocked. The parents of our students are shocked. Nobody expects these things to happen in Tunisia,” an exasperated Fr Mulè Stagno said, shortly after Foreign Minister Tonio Borg visited the area.

The Maltese community of Salesians of Don Bosco has been responsible for the mission school for 700 children in Tunisia for more than 20 years. Two Maltese priests serve in the community – rector Fr Lawrence Essery and Fr Mulè Stagno.

On January 31, the feast of Don Bosco, the Salesians found an anonymous letter pushed under the door threatening them with death unless a sum of money was paid.

“The letter was addressed to ‘Jews’, which is very strange. It said we were being monitored, and had a swastika sign in the bottom,” Fr Mulè Stagno said. The letter was sent to the authorities, but Fr Mulè Stagno is questioning whether the threat was taken seriously. “We’re asking the media to help. It could be the work of extremists. It could be the result of a robbery gone wrong. We really don’t know,” he said.

Fr Mulè Stagno re-lived the horror of seeing sprawled in the garage the lifeless body of the Polish priest who was responsible for the community’s accounting.

“I didn’t recognise him at first, because the body turned blue. It was horrible. We don’t know if Fr Marek went into the garage or whether he was forced there. Fr Marek was a very active member with an impeccable work ethic,” he said.

He said crime in Tunisia had shot up since the regime of Zine El Abidine Ben Ali was toppled by mass protests last month.

“I’ve been here for 20 years and we have to start things afresh. I don’t think we are being specifically targeted. Yes, of course we’re afraid but we have to continue working. We’re not contemplating leaving, there’s danger everywhere,” said the Maltese priest, fully aware of the wave of solidarity shown from Tunisians since Friday. Security has now been beefed up around the school.

The Tunisian authorities pinned the blame on terrorists bent on destabilising the country. The Interior Ministry said the killing appeared to be the work of a “group of extremist terrorist fascists”, judging by the way it was carried out, and vowed that those responsible for the “odious crime” would be severely punished. Yesterday, the Tunisian ministry of religious affairs called on “all men of religion and civil society” to act to prevent similar acts.

It emphasised that “Tunisia has always been a place of peaceful co­existence between races and nationalities and of dialogue between civilisations, religions and culture”.

His death was the first murder of a foreigner or priest since the Ben Ali regime was toppled.

Following his visit to the school, Dr Borg told The Sunday Times he hoped the attack was an isolated incident in a country which appeared to be inching towards normality.

“The solidarity displayed by families has been incredible. This community is well loved,” he said.