Former Italian President Francesco Cossiga celebrated his 80th birthday on July 26. He was interviewed by Il Giornale. Most of the topics discussed in the interview naturally dealt with Cossiga's long career first as a prominent Christian Democratic politician and later as President. He was active during one of the most turbulent periods in post-war Italy when the Brigate Rosse embarked on a campaign with perhaps their most heinous crime being the assassination of Aldo Moro in May 1978.

Cossiga also mentioned the request made to the Maltese government some years ago to have Carmelo Borg Pisani's remains removed from the prison cemetery and taken to Italy. Cossiga described how, when he led a delegation to Malta, he had asked the government to allow Borg Pisani's remains to be taken to Italy.

He explained that Borg Pisani "was the young Maltese, who was posthumously decorated with the Medaglia d'Oro and who had landed in Malta when preparations for the invasion of the island were in progress, was caught and sentenced to death by the British (sic) for treason."

Cossiga had thought there would be no problems with the Nationalist government which, he said "is definitely not anti- Italian." However, the government refused to consider the request because he was told that the issue was a sensitive one: "...dovevamo ricordare che il primo bombardamento italiano ha colpito soltanto maltesi senza fare alcun danno agli inglesi" (we must remember that the first bombings by the Italians hit only the Maltese, without causing any harm or damage to the British).

I cannot confirm whether this is an accurate version of what was really said during the talks. In any case Borg Pisani's remains could never have been transferred to Italy, or anywhere else for that matter. This is because for some strange, inexplicable reason, more than 30 years ago, those in authority had decided to clear all the graves in the Paola civil prison and place the remains of those who had been hanged there in one burial site.

One may or may not agree with the decision to allow Borg Pisani's remains to be taken to Italy (supposing that this was possible), but I just cannot understand why a marble plaque with the words A Carmelo Borg Pisani nel 50o della sua morte, italiani non immemori 1942-1992 (to the memory of Carmelo Borg Pisani on the 50th anniversary of his death, Italians still remember 1942-1992) should not be allowed to be placed on the tomb where his remains were originally buried.

The plaque, which was commissioned on the initiative of a number of Italian scholars and intellectuals (not Fascists) in 1992, was brought over by Prof. Giulio Vignoli of the University of Genoa.

For some reason, Prof. Vignoli in the early 1990s was agricultural adviser to the Maltese government. When permission to place the slab at the prison grounds was not granted, the professor handed the slab to me in the hope that I would succeed.

After 16 years the slab is still in my possession...

Since our relations with neighbouring Italy have become so close and cordial, long before Malta joined the European Union, can anyone explain how such a decision not to allow a non-controversial commemorative plaque to be placed in the prison grounds, is justified?