Many Gaddafi supporters fled to Malta following the dictator’s overthrow in 2011 and the Libyan government is monitoring their movements, according to Libya’s chargé d’affaires Muhammad El-Ghirani.
Discussing the aftermath of the 42-year iron rule of Muammar Gaddafi, Dr El-Ghirani told The Times that, while some of the dictator’s sympathisers tried to stir up trouble in Libya, others fled to Tunisia, Morocco, Algeria, Egypt and Malta.
“There are a lot of Gaddafi supporters who escaped to Malta. I can’t say how many but they did come here. Most of them move from country to country, consequently transferring their money from place to place,” he said.
Dr El-Ghirani explained that the new Libyan Government was closely monitoring those whom it suspected had escaped with the North African country’s money.
It had, he added, already asked Interpol to arrest a number of people who had escaped to Malta, other countries in Europe and also to the US.
Asked whether the Libyan authorities knew who Col Gaddafi’s sympathisers in Malta were, Dr El-Ghirani said the identity of some of them was known.
“Naturally, you cannot just arrest anyone. You need to have sufficient evidence. But those who used to support Gaddafi are behaving themselves.
“They cannot do otherwise because they know that the relationship between Malta and Libya is now a relationship between two nations and not one between individuals, as it had been when Gaddafi was in power. And many of them seem to be changing their minds. You can’t support someone who is dead.”
So is all forgiven and forgotten?
“There are two instances when we do not forgive and forget. If a person’s hand is smeared with the blood of murdered innocents and we have all the evidence, then they will be judged harshly.
“Also, if a person snatched Libyan money – money which he does not deserve – because he was in a position of power or very close to Gaddafi, then that person will also be judged harshly.”
There are more than 2,000 Libyans living in Malta, Dr El-Ghiradi estimates.
The vast majority are not loyalists of Col Gaddafi, although some of the richer ones might have been in the past.
“The way I see it, if you change your mind and relinquish any sympathies for Gaddafi, why not return to Libya? Libya is a free country now.”
He recalled an instance a few months ago when a close relative of Col Gaddafi visited him at the Libyan Embassy in Balzan.
“I received him like any other Libyan. But I asked this person to hand me back his red diplomatic passport, as he was no longer a diplomat.”
He said he encouraged this person, as he did in the case of many others, to return to their home country.
“If you feel you are innocent, if you have nothing against Libya, then why not return to Libya?”
Most of the Libyan community living in Malta, he added, was made up of people who left Libya during Col Gaddafi’s regime.
He cited Malta’s proximity, common heritage and the relative ease of obtaining residency as possible factors that might have encouraged Libyans to migrate to the island in search of refuge from Col Gaddafi’s iron rule.
“Now a new era is starting in Libya. You might say we’re rebuilding our country from scratch. We need people. Many Libyans here in Malta have a lot of experience in the construction industry.
“I’m always advising them: why not return to Libya? Leave Malta for the Maltese. Go back, Libya needs you.”
And the Libyans’ response?
“Strangely enough, they do not answer.”
Foreign Minister outlines island’s position
When Foreign Affairs Minister Francis Zammit Dimech was contacted, he said Malta was a signatory to the agreement establishing the International Criminal Court and was also an active member of the United Nations.
“Since Malta takes all its international obligations very seriously, I wish to point out that no one who is evading UN sanctions or international arrest warrants will find refuge in Malta,” he told The Times.
“Malta has a very active Sanctions Monitoring Board, which continues to assist law enforcement agencies in ensuring that no sanctions are violated, including hiding money and assets belonging to sanctioned people forming part of the old Libyan regime.
“In fact, when transposing the UN sanctions on Libya into our national legislation, Malta made it a crime not to report any information one may have about the whereabouts of sanctioned people and/or funds. This crime is punishable by not only a heavy fine but also by imprisonment.”
The Libyan Government, people and representatives in Malta were aware that Malta was a partner they could rely on, Dr Zammit Dimech said.