THE SUNDAY TIMES I June 27, 2010 National 5 AlleyesonBorg Olivier auction Ariadne Massa Mr Said added he was pleased going as far as to ask if they were so that the auctioneers, Obelisk cash-strapped that they had no Auctions, had yesterday clearly choice but to sell this national Hawk-eyed specialists from Her- identified between the belongings heritage. itage Malta will be observing of the late Dr Borg Olivier and his However, when contacted, Peter today’s auction of former Prime wife, Alexandra née Mattei, from Borg Olivier, one of four heirs, took Minister George Borg Olivier’s other items in the auction. offence to such comments and belongings and buying items con- News that some 300 items owned said this had been a very hard deci- sidered to be of national interest. by Dr Borg Olivier, revered for lead- sion for all of them. “We will be looking at value not ing Malta to its independence from “When a family loses both par- price. We’ll go for anything we the British in 1964, were going under ents decisions have to be taken. We believe enhances the national the hammer sparked a debate on are not doing this because we’re collection,” said Heritage Malta timesofmalta.com with many ques- cash-strapped. We chose to keep chairman Joe Said. tioning why the historical figure’s what is very dear to us and auction While refusing to disclose what belongings were not being the rest,” he said, adding that sev- had caught the eye of the heritage bequeathed to the state. eral items being sold off were actu- specialists during the viewings at ally things his father, an art collec- the Borg Olivier residence in tor, had bought at auctions. Sliema, Mr Said insisted Heritage “This is a very “Why should we be deprived just Malta would safeguard those items because we’re the heirs of a former of national significance. emotional moment prime minister? It’s our private He explained that the law gave for us. Auctioning property. This is a very emotional Heritage Malta pre-emption moment for us. Auctioning our par- rights, which allowed the gov- our parents’ ents’ belongings is not an easy thing ernment agency to buy the items to do. Our mother died last year and at any auction at the “hammer belongings is not we hadn’t touched a single thing. price”. This meant if there was an easy” “The good news is the people I item it wanted on sale, it moved saw at the viewing are genuinely in and bought it when adjudi- interested in owning something of cated. This was done in an unob- And in a letter published in yester- the Borg Olivier legacy, and not trusive way. day’s The Times, historian Henry some businessman intent on buy- Any items purchased would, Frendo said the former Prime Minis- ing and re-selling.” depending on their historical value, ter’s residence in George Borg Olivier Mr Borg Olivier added that the be placed in different museums. For Street should be converted into a family planned to eventually example, paintings will be held at political history museum. donate certain documentation to the National Museum of Fine Arts, Online comments also criticised the state, but he questioned why it while ecclesiastical items will be put the family for putting these trea- took an auction to arouse interest Some have argued that the house should be turned into a museum. at the Inquisitor’s Palace. sures up for auction, with some in his father’s belongings. Photo: Darrin Zammit Lupi Archbishopapologisesfor abuseinvestigationdelay Kurt Sansone last April when they were received by years. Mgr Cremona also talked the Pope during his Malta visit, were about his leadership and drew a dis- only interviewed for the second time tinction between his style and that of The Archbishop has apologised for this week, seven years after first going Gozo Bishop Mario Grech when the length of time it has taken for the public with the allegations. asked whether the latter had taken Church to conclude its investigation In the letter sent by the Vatican and the limelight away from him with var- into allegations of child abuse by seen by this newspaper, the Congre- ious public statements. priests at a Church orphanage. gation for the Doctrine of the Faith Talking about his style, Mgr Cre- In an interview with The Sunday said Mgr Scicluna’s visit was a mona said he listened to people and Times, Mgr Paul Cremona said the “means of support for an expeditious would be ready to change his mind if Vatican’s Congregation for the Doc- conclusion of the cases at hand”. It convinced by the arguments being trine of the Faith had sent Mgr also expressed gratitude for the ster- made. Charles Scicluna, the Promoter of ling work done by the archdiocese in “I am not authoritarian and it is a Justice, to Malta to supplement the the protection of minors. great challenge for me whenever I investigation by the Curia’s Response Mgr Cremona said the Church had have to impose a decision. I prefer Team. to make sure that in future there will dialogue,”he said. The Vatican’s letter says Mgr Scicluna’s visit was a “means of support The alleged victims of child abuse, be no recurrence of a situation [email protected] for an expeditious conclusion of the cases at hand”. who made international headlines whereby investigations drag on for » Readtheinterviewonpage10and11.