In October 1979, gunshots rang out at the Office of the Prime Minister.

Now, 45 years later, heirs of the man who spent nine years in a mental asylum as a result of that incident are suing the state, saying their father was part of a political frame-up.

Carmel, Francis, Joseph, John and Ann, the five heirs of Karmenu Grima, are claiming that their father had been unjustly accused of attempting to kill Dom Mintoff when he entered Castille on that October morning. 

Grima had gone to Castille to hand Mintoff a letter with sensitive information about one of Mintoff’s top ministers, Lorry Sant, they say. But his visit ended with gunshots. 

Word of the alleged attempt on Mintoff's life spread quickly and inflamed Labour supporters, who gathered outside the office of the prime minister. 

From there, thugs ransacked Strickland House, the then-home of Times of Malta, and set it on fire. They then barged into the home of Opposition leader Eddie Fenech Adami, attacking his wife and children. 

The day, a notorious one in Malta's political history, became known as 'Black Monday'.

But judging by claims filed in court by Grima's heirs, the violence was sparked by political disinformation.

A ‘sensitive’ letter to be hand-delivered 

Grima was a well-known loyal supporter and personal friend of Mintoff, who led the Labour government between 1971 and 1984. 

The two regularly met at the Marsa stables where the then-prime minister kept his horses. 

One day, Grima told Mintoff that he had some “sensitive information” about another minister. 

On October 15, 1979 Grima headed to the office of the prime minister, bearing a letter with that information concerning minister Lorry Sant. 

He entered Castille but was prevented from going to Mintoff’s office by some OPM staff. 

So Grima waited patiently, letter in hand, keen to hand it to Mintoff in person. As he waited, he spoke to staff, including then-chief messenger Victor Pace, about the information he meant to share with Mintoff. 

That was when the incident broke out. 

Five shots, a heavy blow to the head and 40 stitches 

Five shots were fired, with three hitting Grima. 

He also needed 40 stitches after being hit in the head with a hard object. Nobody else suffered gunshot wounds, his heirs say, adding that the prime minister was in another room.  

The press statement later issued by the Department of Information said that a man had barged into Castille at around 1:00pm, armed with a revolver, demanding to see the prime minister. He had fired at Mintoff’s chief messenger, the DOI statement said. 

Grima’s heirs say claims of an assassination attempt were a frame-up by people who wanted to stop him from getting to Mintoff. 

It was blown out of proportion to make it seem like a murder attempt against Mintoff when in reality, the PM was not even in the room, they say.  

At the time, Mintoff was in a meeting with the ambassador of North Korea. 

It was evident that someone wanted Grima out of the way, his heirs say. 

A second attempt to eliminate Grima at St Luke’s Hospital 

After the shooting, Grima was rushed to hospital for emergency treatment. 

He was kept isolated from everyone, including family. 

But information later divulged by former Agriculture Minister Freddie Micallef indicated that there was another attempt to kill Grima while he was in hospital. 

The plan failed because the suspected aggressor/s mistakenly targeted the patient lying in the bed next to Grima’s. That patient happened to be Micallef’s brother. 

After an indefinite stay in hospital, Grima was taken to prison and later to Mount Carmel Hospital purportedly “for his own safety.” 

His family was kept in the dark. 

They were given no information about the magisterial inquiry that was conducted into the alleged incident. 

However it later transpired that the inquiring magistrate did not conclude that it was an attempted murder. 

In spite of that, Grima was charged in court with attempting to murder Mintoff. 

He was eventually declared “of unsound mind” and sent to Mount Carmel where he spent nine years.  He was discharged in 1989 after the PN took over government. He died few years later in 1995. 

He had been administered all sorts of pills, so much so that his memory was affected. 

A second inquiry into events of that day, held during a PN administration, also concluded that there had been no attempt on Mintoff's life.

Three copies of that inquiry are known to have been distributed. None can be located. The Grima family was never given access to either inquiry. 

A political frame up to justify ‘Black Monday’ violence 

There was no murder attempt against Mintoff, Grima’s heirs claim.

Mintoff himself when speaking about the incident in Parliament a fortnight later, never once mentioned that Grima fired at him. 

But the chief messenger and a major who testified in the murder compilation gave a different version. 

A story published in a former newspaper, Alternattiva, titled “Castille 15 October 1979…Framed attempt”, claimed that chief messenger Pace and major Eddie Theuma had given false testimony. 

Pace sued the paper for libel. He lost the case. 

The narrative that landed Grima in court was all made up to justify the violence which broke out later that day under the administration of the day. 

A “normal man” who never needed medical treatment was made to seem “insane.” 

He was locked away. 

He was the “sacrificial lamb” of this political frame up, argue his heirs who are now claiming that his fundamental rights to life, to private and family life and personal freedom and security were breached. 

They are suing the authorities for pecuniary and non-pecuniary damages. 

The case is scheduled for a first hearing next month. 

Lawyers Peter Fenech, Elena Fenech and Matthew Camilleri are assisting the applicants.