So far, there was not enough evidence to charge a government official with masterminding a racket involving medical visas for Libyan citizens, as alleged by a whistleblower, the police said last night.

The memo at Mater Dei.The memo at Mater Dei.

In view of the allegations made by a Libyan national with regard to Neville Gafà, this newspaper asked the police what stage the investigations had reached. Late yesterday evening, they said that “investigations were concluded in the past days” and “based on the evidence the police hold so far, Mr Gafà will not be arraigned, as it did not result that he was involved in any criminal behaviour”.

Asked whether as part of the investigations the police were questioning St James Hospital officials, they said they were, adding that the officials were assisting “since [their] premises were used for treatment, besides Mater Dei Hospital, for patients coming from the conflict in Libya”.

However, the police stressed that St James Hospital was not part of the investigation.

Nurses and paramedics were informed in writing to contact Mr Gafà in case of any Libyan patients arriving at MIA

Earlier in the day, the Times of Malta had asked the Health Ministry and Mr Gafà whether, despite the allegations and the police investigations, he was still involved in handling Libyan patients coming for medical treatment.

The Office of the Prime Minister said last month that, pending the investigation, Mr Gafà “was asked not to do any work related to the [subject] matter of the allegations”.

However, healthcare industry sources told this newspaper that, as recently as last week, nurses and paramedics were informed in writing to contact Mr Gafà immediately in case of any Libyan patients arriving at Malta International Airport.

According to an unsigned memo to ambulance nurses, all arriving Libyan patients had to pass through Mr Gafà. The memo, addressed to nurses on duty at Mater Dei Hospital’s ambulance control room, states: “Mr Neville Gafà is to be contacted 24/7 on [mobile number withheld by this newspaper] in ALL cases of Libyan patients being transferred to Mater Dei Hospital or in any case where our ambulances are called to assist these patients from the airport.”

This newspaper was also told that, on behalf of the Health Ministry and while still under investigation, Mr Gafà was still coordinating issues related to Libyan nationals coming to Malta with medical visas, including those treated at St James Hospital.

On July 21, for example, Mr Gafà was involved in the coordination of a flight from Libya for a patient suffering from facial burns. On his instructions, the patient was transported directly from the airport to the burns unit at Mater Dei.

Contacted yesterday, Mr Gafà admitted he was still handling Libyan patients. “My involvement recently had nothing to do with visas”, he pointed out. “My only involvement was to facilitate logistics for war-injured victims in Libya who had already been granted approval to be treated medically in Malta,” he added.

This newspaper reported last month that, in a letter sent to Minister Without Portfolio Konrad Mizzi in April, Khaled Ben Nassan, a Libyan who operates Aurum Tribus Ltd, claimed Mr Gafà was taking bribes from Libyan citizens in exchange for medical visas. The letter also alleged that Mr Gafà used some of the money gained through the racket to buy a BMW.

Mr Gafà denied the claims, and a spokesman for the Office of the Prime Minister said the matter was being investigated by the police.

Despite the serious allegations, Mr Gafà, who sits on the Labour Party’s national executive council, was not suspended and continued to occupy the same position throughout the investigations.

Soon after the 2013 elections, he was recruited as the Office of the Prime Minister’s representative at the Ministry of Health on a person-of-trust basis. Following the resignation of then health minister Godfrey Farrugia, he stayed on as an official at the Ministry of Health dealing with medical visas. He was later given a new contract on a person-of-trust basis with the Foundation for Medical Services, which now falls under Mr Fearne’s political responsibility.

Mr Fearne yesterday told the Times of Malta Mr Gafà’s new contract with the Foundation for Medical Services was signed when Dr Mizzi was responsible for health.

ivan.camilleri@timesofmalta.com

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