Neville Gafà yesterday categorically denied allegations of bribery and corruption related to the issue of medical visas.

The denial was made as members of the political group Alleanza Bidla, alleged that the Prime Minister and his inner circle had been given details about rackets and warned that “more evidence, including recordings will be published if [Joseph] Muscat does not act to clean his mess”.

Neville Gafa denies any part in an alleged racket. Photo: Twitter

In a letter sent to this newspaper by former police commissioner
Peter Paul Zammit in his capacity as legal procurator, Mr Gafà said he never received any money in any way or form apart from his government salary.

Mr Gafà, who was employed by the Office of the Prime Minister on a position of trust basis, gave a detailed account of how the medical visas system used by the government worked.

“The public has a right to know that the Maltese government signed a memorandum of understanding with the Libyan authorities to help in providing medical assistance to people injured in this conflict,” he said.

According to him, those sent to Malta, mostly to Saint James Hospital, were identified by the Libyan secret service and vetted by the Maltese authorities.

Pointing out that these Libyan patients were not expected to pay any fees, which would have been covered directly by the Libyan authorities, Mr Gafà insisted that no fees were levied by myself or the respective departments for the vetting
of the persons concerned”.

Mr Gafà said the allegations should be addressed to the Libyan “middleman”, who he said had no legal or statutory right to enter into the government-to government negotiations and who, according to a newspaper article (not
from the Times of Malta), collected money on the unfounded pretext of having
Libyan or Maltese clearance.

The Times of Malta reported that Libyan businessmen Khaled Ben Nasan had sent a letter to Minister Without Portfolio Konrad Mizzi alleging that Mr Gafà was taking bribes to issue medical visas. The claims were investigated by the police who, earlier this week, declared that, so far, it had not found enough evidence to arraign Mr Gafà.

The police said they would be seeking advice from the Attorney General on
whether legal action can be taken against Mr Ben Nasan for false claims.

Meanwhile, in a press conference yesterday, Ivan Grech Mintoff, from Alleanza Bidla, said the “medical visas scandal” was just the tip of the iceberg, because top government officials were involved in similar rackets connected to residence permits and Schengen visas to Libyan citizens.

“The Prime Minister and his top officials have all the details, because Libyan officials, including ministers, have come to Malta to give him all the information”, he said.

Calling on “genuine Labourites” to do something and not let their party “stoop into more mud”, he warned that more evidence would be published in the coming days. Mr Grech Mintoff said the police commissioner
was “a puppet on a string” He also criticised the Nationalist Party, accusing it of trying to get political mileage out of this scandal.

Answering questions sent by this newspaper, a spokesman for the Office
of the Prime Minister said that Mr Grech Mintoff’s assertions were “totally
unfounded and untrue”.