Two men charged with helping in migrants' escape
Four migrants jailed for trying to leave Malta
Two men were yesterday arraigned and charged with helping immigrants escape from Malta last December when they allegedly sold a boat to them.
In another three cases, four immigrants - three Egyptian men and a Sudanese - were each jailed for a month after they admitted to trying to escape from Malta.
Dennis Mackay, 32, of Valletta and Gordon Dimech, 28, of Hamrun pleaded not guilty to aiding and abetting immigrants escape from Malta last December 21.
Magistrate Antonio Mizzi heard Police Inspector Jeffery Cilia, prosecuting, explain how the two Maltese men sold a boat to a group of immigrants. The migrants sailed out but had to turn back because of the rough sea.
The inspector added that, last Friday, some of those who tried escaping the first time attempted another escape but the boat they were on capsized. One immigrant died, nine are still missing and some survived.
In three other arraignments, 19-year-old Egyptians Mukhtar Rabi' Danian Abu Salem and Galal Salaheddin Ragad Al Said admitted to trying to escape on Friday - when they survived the boat capsizing.
Sudanese Hafis Mohamed Ibrahim Bertawi, 29, admitted to trying to escape in December and Egyptian Yousef Mohamed, 26, pleaded guilty to trying to escape on both occasions.
All four immigrants, who were kept at the Safi detention centre, were jailed for a month. On Tuesday Antonio Abdilla, 59, and his daughter Dorianne, 26, were charged with involvement in aiding and abetting immigrants escape from Malta on Friday.
Police Inspectors Cilia and Josric Mifsud prosecuted.
Lawyers José Herrera, Roberto Montalto and Joseph Giglio represented the Maltese men and lawyers Leslie Cuschieri and Daniela Mangion represented the immigrants.