Former Allied Group director dies

Former Allied Group director Joseph P. Busuttil died in St Luke's Hospital on Sunday, aged 84.

The funeral will be held today at 3.30 p.m. at the parish church of St Mary, in Attard followed by interment at the Attard cemetery.

A "real gentleman" is how the former managing director of Allied Newspapers, Ronald Agius, described Mr Busuttil. The present managing director, Vincent Buhagiar, said Mr Busuttil was a perfectionist in his work who gave all he could to the company.

Mr Buhagiar, who years back used to be Mr Busuttil's assistant when the latter occupied the post of company secretary, said Mr Busuttil, a legal procurator by profession, was one of those dedicated men who worked long hours without considering any personal interest.

Mr Busuttil, who obtained his diploma as a legal procurator from the University of Malta in 1943, joined Allied Malta Newspapers Ltd in 1948 and formed part of the editorial staff of The Times of Malta's sister newspaper Il-Berqa, where between 1966-68 he was parliamentary editor and assistant and deputy editor from 1958 to 1968.

Among other top posts within the Group, Mr Busuttil was company secretary of Progress Co. Ltd from 1968 to 1982 and Allied Newspapers Ltd's company secretary from 1973 to 1982.

He was also managing director of the Group's subsidiary Xara Palace Hotel Co. Ltd (1972-82) and director of Progress Press Co. Ltd and Allied Malta Newspapers Ltd between 1974 and 1982.