I refer to Revel Barker's letter Too Close For Comfort (January 21) regarding our late father, former Chief Justice Sir Arturo Mercieca, was absolutely fraught with groundless, malicious and boldfaced falsehoods.

At no time was our father a pro-Fascist but was an unswerving sympathiser and supporter of the Italian language and culture into which he was born and educated.

Moreover, there is no evidence whatsoever that "Mussolini, before declaring war, offer(ed) him sanctuary in Sicily for the duration of hostilities" nor that the latter owed "his greater loyalty" to the former.

The one point in the letter that we readily and strongly endorse is that our father was, beyond any doubt, a great Maltese patriot.

We are the sole surviving children of the late Sir Arturo and had the other six been still alive, we are certain that they would have been in full agreement with us.

Any further questions such as those provocative ones that have appeared in the said letter can only indicate how far from truth one can get.